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Small Guest Bath Project

2012-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

When I purchased the canvas for my Grinch quote project, the sale was on two-packs. I'm no math major, but 2-1=1, meaning I needed another project for my extra 11x14" canvas. Luckily our guest bathroom needed a project (well, I think it needs a couple of projects, but that's neither here nor there.)

Our guest bathroom is probably like many bathrooms--neglected in decor. I mean, what is there to do besides hang a shower curtain and keep the TP stocked? If you're on Pinterest, you know there's PLENTY you can decorate in a bathroom. I'm starting small though.

My inspiration came from HERE. Actually, that's not totally true. My ORIGINAL inspiration came from 4 Men 1 Lady (back when it was only 3 men). She had a great frame in her kids' bathroom saying "Always Wash Your Hands" in the style of the Keep Calm poster (without actually doing the keep calm thing because, let's be honest, I'm tired of keeping calm and whatever-ing). Since this bathroom will likely house at least one little in its future, I wanted something that could transition from current need (decor) to future needs (not-so-subtle reminders for kiddos).

I typed my words into Pages and changed each phrase into a different font. The spacing got a little tricky, since my measurements were different from a standard piece of paper. I got it right after only a little trial and error (one minor reprint). Using the same method as my Grinch "painting," I stick some carbon paper between the canvas and my print out and carefulyl traced the letters. Then I went to town painting.

Painting that thing was probably the hardest part, since the fonts are detailed and my brush was not. As the art teacher at one of the schools I tutor in said, "The best part about art is that you can clean it up and start again." A little trial and error and I found a good method.

Not perfect, but I like it. And I think those who use the guest bathroom will as well.

My personal favorite is the "use soap" after "wash your hands." Many students have been sent back to the bathroom after I asked if they washed . They said yes, but when I asked if they used soap, they said no.

Project Update

2012-01-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

I know. I know. I know. But in my defense, December was insane. And January is proving to be incredibly productive. So what I'm lacking in blogging, I'm actually making up for in projects. Since I'm not Young House Love (for better or worse), I'm combining all of my projects into one behemoth of a post! But, to make it worth your while, I have pictures!

How about we just back up and I'll do a little timeline for y'all.

As is our tradition, we have 2 Christmases (Christmai?), one with Adam's side, one with mine. Adam's family Christmas was the weekend before calendar Christmas, with my family following the calendar this year. Both were great. Being with family is always fun (well, usually). After Christmas, I had the week off work and seized the opportunity to work on a project I had been planning: the master closet:

(I could never, ever be a hoarder. Having my life like this for just 2 days drove me absolutely bonkers)

I painted both the master closet and the "toilet room" in our bathroom Olive Green (by Valspar). Don't let the pictures fool you, it's a very nice green. I also built and painted my laundry sorter:

I'm about a week into actually utilizing my new laundry system and I LOVE it. I'm doing laundry a little more often, but instead of doing it ALL in a day, only a load or two at a time. Keeps the dirty laundry piles out of the dining room.

I built the sorter basically exactly to Ana's plans. I used 2x2s so I didn't have to fool with the metal angles. Her plans don't actually instruct you in attaching those, so I had to figure that out myself. Not hard if all the pieces are already cut. I painted the interior the same green as the closet and the exterior was primed white and then painted with Sherwin Williams' Snowbound in semi gloss, color matched by Lowe's (I had gift cards, so the total of both area's redecoration cost about $25 out of pocket).

I also re-re-hung (long story) a shelf at the end of the closet.

After having the week off, I went back down to Tennessee and went with my parents to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Adam stayed home with Mister (an adventure that ended much better than either of us expected), not wanting to travel a third weekend in a row.

Cincinnati (Dad's alma mater) took on Vandy (on of the schools in Mom's repertoire and a team we all like to see succeed). Mom and I were prepared to root for either team, but ultimately cheered for UC.

(don't worry. The stadium filled in. It was like an hour before kick-off.)

A sign for Pead (/peed/), Cincinnati's lead running back

When I finally settled in at home, I had a few small projects happening around the house (besides constantly moving the laundry sorter. It's in its third and final home).

First, I took some inspiration from Pinterest (here and here) and made a Christmas canvas with my favorite quote from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." I downloaded the Grinch font and typed it out in Pages. The font went way wonky (some letters overlapped, others had huge spaces), so I actually cut everything out and then taped back together. Then, I got some graphite paper from Michael's (in the painting section) and used that to transfer the traced letters onto the canvas. A little painting later and there you go.

Some of you may wonder "why didn't you just use a Cricut for the lettering?" Easy. I don't have a Cricut to do the fancy vinyl transfers everyone on Etsy and Pinterest use. I'd say insert subtle hint for my birthday here, but honestly, I'm not entirely sure I'd use it that often. Sure it'd be handy when I needed, but how often would that actually be?

I also hung a floating shelf in the toilet room. Previously, there was a towel bar over the toilet, but with no sink in that "room" and since it was far from the shower, it served absolutely no purpose. I stole a sunflower from a fake bouquet I got for the fall and love the pop it gives the room. The shelf itself is hung a little high (since I'm so short, I tend to overestimate "eye level" to normal people), but I think some art would be nice underneath it. By the way, I really like the shelf. Last year, I got one from Target for the guest room, but it didn't hang flush against the wall. I was afraid that with enough weight, it would come crashing down. This one is solid and isn't going anywhere on its own.

I have another tiny project/picture, but for whatever reason, iPhoto doesn't want to upload it from my photo stream. For Christmas, my MIL got me a nice set of make-up brushes. I took this idea from Pinterest and put my own spin on it. I was concerned about using actual coffee beans, since I didn't know if they would spoil or otherwise get gross over time. So I used some vase filler marbles (or whatever they're called) instead. I used mostly clear with a few pops of green and turquoise. Super cute and very functional.

Whew! So that's what I've been doing instead of blogging. How about y'all?

More Christmas!

2011-12-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

I'm back with another 2 on Tuesdays, linking up with Andrea. It's basically the only thing I write about these days. But have no fear! My awesome uncle sent his annual Lowe's gift card with his Christmas card (it has evolved from a check to the gift card since we bought our house). I made a pit stop on my way home from work today to get lumber for my laundry dresser. I'm off this coming Friday morning, all day next Friday, and the whole week after Christmas. Minus an eye doctor appointment, I'll have plenty of time for my closet re-boot and maybe even tackle the pesky "toilet room."

Enough babble. On to the topic: What are your two favorite Christmas songs? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

I freaking LOVE Christmas. The presents, the sparkle, the magic that just seems to be in the air. I adore wrapping presents (which Husband loves since he thinks he's terrible at it). I created my own playlist of music to listen to as I wrap. Out of my general Christmas/Holiday Smart Playlist, I have these as my "Top Christmas", in no particular order:

Winter Song: Sara Barellies and Ingrid Michaelson

Christmas in Dixie: Alabama

Breath of Heaven: Amy Grant (one of my youth directors growing up sang this one Sunday during worship and I was instantly in love)

The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't be Late): The Chipmunks (when I was little, instead of "Me I want a hula-hoop," I sang "Me I want yahoo, yahoo!" Like Yahoo! Christmas is coming!)

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Christmas Song: Dave Matthews Band (Really top favorite)

Carol of the Bells (the singing version, not just instruments)

Mary, Did You Know?

Angels We Have Heard on High (the sheet music had me mesmerized every year at my church's Christmas Eve service)

I'm Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas

Christmas movies are a little easier to narrow down. Of course, there's the perennial TV specials: Rudolph, Frosty, Grinch, and Charlie Brown. Husband and I DVRed them all this year and watched them one night by the fire. And of course dissected just how much suspension of disbelief one needs for those movies--anyone else notice how totally racist and sexist Santa and Donner are?

However, when push comes to shove, Christmas just isn't Christmas without:

(All images courtesy of Google search)

Christmas Vacation

A Christmas Story (TBS marathon style)

Elf

P.S. PSA: Don't Google search "Elf." Only the first hew hits are the movie. The rest are just scary.

Laundry Room

2011-12-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

I think...I'm not quite sure...what this feeling is. It's kind of like relief, mixed with "what?" I have completed my very first room! All of the other rooms in the house, although "done," still have minor things to be done. I know. I know. That list never ends. I am trying to keep my list divided into things that need/I really want and the things that would be nice, but if they never happen, no biggie.

Today, I completed the last project for the laundry room.

I had a head start, with painting and doing some art projects, before the arrival of our favorite 4-legged family member (how naive were we, thinking he'd actually sleep in the laundry room?

Anyway, since I moved the shelves lower to accomodate my un-tall stature, there was a large expanse of wall that just felt empty. I considered getting a vinyl decal that are all the rage lately, but I just don't want to hop on that train. Plus, nothing I saw was really what I was thinking. So I decided to make my own art (again).

I bought a long poster frame from Michael's while waiting on Mister at the groomer (how convenient is it that they are next door?). It's one of those really long but narrow ones. I didn't want to totally fill that space, which is my tendency. Bonus: the frame was on sale...30 or 40% off!

Then, I made a trip this week to Hobby Lobby and bought some chip board letters, light blue acrylic paint and some scrapbook paper. My original idea was that wrapping paper might be more economical, but the only thing I found in my color scheme was a pattern and I couldn't get the look I wanted with that.

I painted my letters (bonus that I didn't have any letter repeats, since the package only had 1 of each letter!) in alternating colors, corresponding with the colors in the laundry room. Then, I made sure my scrapbook paper would indeed fit the frame. 3 pieces of 12x12 were perfect! Plus, the paper was 30% off, so it was way cheaper than wrapping paper. I began going around the paper with my phrase "Wash, dry, fold," hoping and praying I wouldn't have to end in the middle of a word. Luckily, it worked out almost perfect. I traced the letters in light blue Sharpie.

I was ready to hot glue my letters onto the paper and then realized I misspelled "laundry," omitting the N. Oops. Since I had mixed 2 blues and 2 greens (I already had), I couldn't just use more. I had to salvage my mixes from the trash (still right on top and not attached to anything gross). Easy fix. Once dry, I finally did hot glue them into place, roughly center. I added my fun catchphrase at the bottom and let everything dry for a few hours, just in case.

I placed the plastic layer on top, popped the edges back on, and hung in center to the shelf.

Now I have a laundry room I don't mind doing laundry in! Figures that my first "complete" room is not an actual ROOM. Total cost: $10 or $15. Don't remember exactly how much the frame was, but it wasn't much.

On my "maybe one day" list is to switch out the light fixture, except it's florescent and I'm not sure how cut and dry that would be.

Another 2 on Tuesday - Christmas Traditions

2011-11-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

I had fun linking up to Andrea for her 2 on Tuesday. The topic this week is another fun one: What are your Christmas Traditions?

Since it's just the two of us (well, three counting the puppy dog), we haven't really built in many traditions. We alternate years spending Christmas with our families. This year it's my family's turn, so we'll travel down after Husband get off Friday.

Growing up, we always went to the Christmas Eve communion service at church and would go to an open house gathering at a close family friend (who also happens to be the church's secretary. Since my parents have moved, I'm not sure what the plan will be. Sometimes we do church, sometimes not. Either way there will be puppy chow and A Christmas Story. We open all gifts Christmas morning (none of that Christmas Eve crap. Not even one), beginning with stockings and moving on to the tree. As I've gotten older, all of that happens after a first cup of coffee, of course.

Christmas 2009? I think. Husband caffinating

Besides puppy chow, and a Christmas story, my favorite family tradition is waking up my sister. She's always been a late sleeper. When I was little, I'd wake her up by creeping in her room and getting REEEEEEEAL close to her face and just stare.

As I mentioned, my husband and I don't have too many traditions that are all our own. We continue my family's tradition of putting up a live tree (not a candle in the world compares to the smell of real fir).

The one tradition that is all ours is pretty special. Like most traditions, I'm not sure how or when it really started, but when we were still dating, my husband decided to take me out to a fancy dinner. Like break out the Spanx and keep your elbows off the table nice. We've been slowly eating our way around the nicer restaurants in town, having frequented Jonathan's at Gratz Park (less than impressed for the cost, but good), Nagasaki Inn (hibachi grill), Malone's (also our engagement dinner locale), and most recently Dudley's. This year we're planning on trying Merrick Inn. The goal is to go somewhere a) we've never been and b) we wouldn't normally go if we were eating out.

The Hubs and I before Nagasaki Christmas dinner

It's tough scheduling dinner with all of the other commitments we have during the season, but we also usually make it a priority.

Our other tradition hasn't always been an annual event. There's a house in town known as "the Christmas House." Every town has one, I'm sure. In fact, ask anyone in town, you'll probably get addresses of multiple "Christmas houses." Well, apparently not everyone knows about this one:

Me at Christmas House

They do Christmas up HUGE. We went twice, then the owner had medical problems and wasn't able to do as much the third. Then the owner moved, but still did his display at a local country club. Nice, but eh. Not the same. Well then Husband showed me this article from the paper. It's back and I have high expectations. We'll probably go out riding one evening, with Mister and check it all out.

Closet Makeover

2011-11-25T06:14:00.001-08:00

1. Laundry Dresser by Ana White to replace our current hamper

2. Necklace hanger via Pinterest

3. Shelf brackets from Lowes. Add a piece of 1x10 and we'll take advantage of some wasted space and create shelves for sweaters

4. Minwax Stain in Red Mahogony (for said brackets/shelves)

5. Shoe Cubby by Ana White

6. DIY scarf organizer via Pinterest

7. Purse Organization via Pinterest

One paper separates me from the end of the semester, so of course I'm procrastinating as long as possible.

Just thought I'd give a quick update on my winter project plan. I had three options, but after hauling laundry and spending at least 30 minutes sorting last week, I immediately knew my priority. The Master Closet.

Of course, it will be painted a similar green to the background and that color will also go in the "toilet room" of our master bath.

The laundry sorter is my project priority. If I can get the shoe cubby in before it's too cold, great. If not, it'll wait til spring. This will all give me something to do in December when I don't have schoolwork hanging over my head :)

2 on Tuesday

2011-11-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today I'm linking up to Andrea's 2 on Tuesday. She wants to know "What's on your Christmas wish list? What do you hope to receive from Santa?"

My wants are pretty nerdy this year. Some organizing things, mostly for the kitchen (kind of tired of an avalanche of pans when I'm trying to start cooking) and a few other house things.

I would really like this comforter for our room. Our current one is from Husband's apartment and is pretty gross. I'd also like one for the guest room, which currently has a duvet cover and blanket, but no actual comforter.

I know this picture is small, but TOMS website didn't like me copying the picture. Anyway, these shoes are really growing on me. I didn't really like them at first, but the more I see people wear them, the more I like them. Especially since I started learning more about the company. For every pair of shoes you buy, they send a pair to a child in need. The problems associated with not having something so basic as a pair of shoes are crazy.

Finally, I have a couple of books on my wish list (my personal wish list. I keep a separate one for books I want for a classroom). This one is about the author's struggle with dyslexia.

Projects and Priorities

2011-10-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

I don't have any new projects to share. There's a month left of my classes, one of which has been kicking my butt. Just when I think I've figured out the professor and what she's looking for when she grades, she changes it. I'd love to make it out of this semester with my 4.0 in tact, but I'm doubting that.

Anyway, I have a point to this post, I promise! The other day, Ana White posted about impending doom, aka snow. While my situation is much less dire that trying to put up a roof before snow falls, my garage isn't exactly heated. Building project time is getting limited! The problem is, I've a list of ideas a mile long, so I need some help prioritizing (get it? Projects and priorities! My titles don't lie).

Project 1) Master Closet reboot.

I love our closet. It's so massive. Husband and I have more than enough space to keep all hanging clothes, sweaters, shoes, purses (which my collection is admittedly sad...and Husband doesn't have a collection at all :)). I would, however, like to paint it. It's the color we picked when we moved in and I'm a little tired of it. I want to paint the closet and the "toilet room" of the bathroom the same color-a shade of green. In painting the closet, I'd LIKE to reconfigure things a tiny bit. With the installation of our entertainment box, We had to get one of the shelves cut in 2 pieces. I rehung the new excess on the same wall as the door. I'd like to move that to underneath the back section, creating 2 sections for pants and tops (Husband's side is already like that). I have 2 building projects: a shoe cubby like this and a laundry sorter like this.

Except for the 2 building projects, everything can be done in warmth. However, I'd like to change up how I do laundry and the laundry sorter plays a big part in that.

Project 2) Entryway reboot

This is really just straight up building projects. Eventually I want to paint, just not ready to tackle the huge area our entry opens up to :). We want a bench where the small table is. Something to sit and and put on shoes before we walk the dog. Something along these lines, except with a cushion and without the baskets. With under the bench open, we can keep our dog walking shoes, so that's out of the way. I also want to build a small table (OK, this one) to keep Mister's harness and leash, our iPods and arm bands, spare keys, blah blah blah.

We also want to buy an umbrella stand (I will walk that dog in ANYTHING...including apparent tornado warnings) to keep that mess off the floor/drywall).

Project 3) Sewing table

This is the last project for our office redo (well, it was never done to begin with, so "do"). I've got several projects planned, like a cover for Mister's crate that actually goes with our room (not that I don't LOVE his Auburn blanket), a cushion for said entry bench, and the ongoing battle with hemming my pants. Why I want to push this up in priority is because of Cori. She's also petite (under 5 feet people are the coolest. It's no lie) and she sews a lot of her own clothes, especially skirts. I would need a refresher course in measuring and altering patterns (I love you, Mom! or perhaps an actual class when my time allows), but I could knock out a large portion of the "needs" for my closet for much less than I would otherwise.

This is the part where people comment with their number choice (like on Love Connection--best part of being hom sick from school in the 90s!). I intend on all of these projects getting done at some point, but I figure I can really only feasibly build the parts for one before I can't stand the freezing garage...and no, we don't have a space heater :)

Shameless Plug

2011-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I had an unexpected career shift. Without getting into nitty gritty details, I stumbled upon The Reading Room and became one of their dyslexia tutors. I have the coolest job in the world! For one, I'm doing the greatest part of my original career path--watching students learn and grow into confident, capable readers and learners. I get to watch the wheels turn in their little heads and the light bulb finally go off. Second, it challenges me because I've always enjoyed and excelled at reading. I went into kindergarten reading and throughout elementary and middle school, I had a book with me basically at all times. I have difficulty relating to people who struggled with reading since I never experienced that.

However, far too many people do struggle with reading. And spelling. That's where we come in! My office is jumping into the 21st century (OK, really we've had plenty of technology all along in the office. Now we're going beyond our walls). They have a blog, a Facebook page, and my boss was recently on the local news to discuss some early warning signs and their homework technology workshop.

If you or someone you know has difficulty reading and spelling, check out our website to learn more and give Stacey a call.

Halloween by Pinterest

2011-10-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned earlier my new obsession, Pinterest. Pinterest is a website that acts as a virtual "pin board." It's a cross between bookmarking websites and tearing pictures out of magazines. Essentially, as you browse websites and what-not, if you see a pretty picture or something you want to replicate, you pin it. You can also browse the pictures others have pinned and re-pin their pictures. Always, the pin will take you back to the original source, which is helpful if you need a few reminders for steps in a project :). The thing I love most is the creative ideas I can't come up with on my own, but can easily do once I see it!

Last week, I finished TWO projects I saw on Pinterest.

(original source)

I started with the picture. After a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, I created these:

Jack-o-lantern and a mummy that actually became more of a ghost

Vampire and Frankenstein

I think they turned out so cute! I've been seriously lacking in varying Halloween decor and these were so easy. The blog had printouts for faces, but I just painted free-hand with black acrylic paint, using the originals as guides.

Also, I made these candy corns:

Based on this pin (the picture wouldn't let me paste it). The only thing I did different was instead of hot gluing a button on top, I just worked the yarn into a spiral. I also dug a little into the bottom of the cone so the yellow yarn fit easily inside and would sit flat with the hot glue bump.

Both projects took me just a couple of hours...some of which was drying time :)

Work Bench

2011-09-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

I figured I'd better blog about my work bench now before I have to work on the multitude of papers I have due this week :)

So you've already seen the peg board. But what's peg board without a space to work? I have been completely and totally spoiled by the house I grew up in. Our garage took up half of our house's total footprint. In my mind, a 2 car garage should have room to comfortably park 2 cars (or SUVs...or vans), have plenty of space for storage, and still have room for a workshop.

Unfortunately, that's not reality in newer houses here in Lexington. My mom stumbled upon this plan for a work bench from Family Handyman online. What I love is that it utilizes the space between the wall and garage door track. I also love the fold-out work space option. I haven't done this part just yet, but plan to. There's plenty of ways to customize it. Since I don't have a table saw, I didn't need that part. I also didn't build the roll out drawers (yet) or the slide panel. I also shortened the entire thing by about 2 feet as that entire length would have taken up most of my garage wall.

Here's my bottom shelf. This measures 8 ft x 17 inches.

Here are the two work tops. The larger one (on the left) measures 6 ft x 20 in. and the smaller one (on the right) measures 4 ft x 20 in. The gap is 24 in. I chose to leave the large space under the longer top in case I ever did get a table saw and I can build the roll out section. Or if I ever get a shop vac, that can easily fit under there as well.

Here it is assembled, minus the actual top.

And the finished product (you can't tell, but there is actually plywood on top now. I have hooks to actually hang the saw horses. Also, I plan on selling the cabinet on the far right.

This section is mostly to support lumber being cut by the miter saw. I also hung my clamp collection, hammers, hand saw, and other miscellaneous stuff. I plan on building a shelf for the air compressor, so that space will eventually open up. I'm not sold on keeping the drawers, but they're kind of handy right now for loose screws, pencils, and other small things that wouldn't stay in the basket on the peg board.

This is the miter saw bay. It's not totally level (which I'm not sure how that happened since both tops are level themselves and to each other), but it's nothing a short trip to Lowe's for shims can't solve. Underneath is the lower shelf with my other power tools (nail guns, drill, circular saw, sander). On the garage floor are all of my small wood scraps (i.e. not the large pieces of ply wood).

And this is the main work area. This is where the fold-out table will go. The peg board holds my basic building tools and a magnetic strip for the screw drivers. I've also got all of my painting supplies around here.

So that's what I've been up to. Now that this is finished, I'm anxious to get to some of my other projects like a sewing table (so I can start on sewing projects like a new crate cover for Mister), a bench and/or console table for our entry way, and a laundry basket dresser so we can pre-sort laundry. I also need to do some re-tooling on the wood box I had built for the patio. This is, of course, as we enter life's busy season with football, work, school, fall trips, and the holidays will be here before you know it! Where's the slo-mo button on this thing?

Pinterest Peg Board

2011-09-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack :D

Whew. Life has been kicking my butt lately. Over the summer I worked four afternoons a week, attended class two mornings a week, and answered the phones at work the other two mornings. Things have sort of slowed down. I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride with getting things done on the mornings I don't work. If only I could get motivated to do school-work :)

I just have a small project to share with you. I've been ruminating over this for several months and finally got motivated to buy the wood in August. Yeah. It's mid-late September. Anyway, I've been building a work bench for the garage. It's not totally done yet, since the saw at Lowe's was broken the day I went, so it's missing the top...you know, the work bench. However, that's not the project. This project is prettier, funner.

So, it didn't really start very pretty. This is just basic peg board from Lowe's. It's a 4'x2' piece. However, thanks to my new BFF, Pinterest (if you're not on Pinterest, you are missing. Out), I got the idea to paint it!

(Source: BGH)

I loved how this picture is so much brighter because of the paint. Plus, garages are typically plain, boy spaces. I'm not.

I started by painting the brown white. The white is just Sherwin-Williams un-tinted white base. We bought it when I got a little over-zealous painting and got some on the ceiling. Our ceilings are tinted from the base, but I didn't try to figure out what. It's much less noticeable than blue on white ceilings.

A few coats later and both pieces are as evenly white as they're going to get.

Next, I measured out squares and got to painting.

There's a right way and a quicker way for this step. The right way is to tape the squares off, wait for each color to dry, retape, rinse repeat. The "quicker" way is to try to keep a steady hand, waiting just long enough for the next-door neighbor color to dry enough to not smear. However, I'm not convinced the "quicker" way is actually quicker. Yes, you have to wait for the paint to dry to tape over it, but honestly, it didn't take long. Plus, it takes more time to edge, whereas I could paint in my messy way and the tape would still leave crisp lines.

Here's after 2 colors

And after 3. I painted a total of 4 colors, all using either left-over gallons from painting rooms or using the samples I got when deciding between colors. In short, this project cost only 2 pieces of peg board (Grand total, like, $15). I also left the white stripe in the middle...mostly because I was lazy and didn't feel like painting it. Luckily, it provided me the perfect space to hang my next Pinterest idea :) But you'll have to wait for that.

If you decide to do something like this, quick reminder: Peg board has holes. Paint is wet. Wet paint fall through holes. This is definitely a garage floor project (not necessarily in the driveway, unless you want a polka-dotted driveway). If you're particular about no polka dots, then cover anything under it with newspaper. I've got a slightly polka dotted garage floor (it matches my other painting projects) and very polka dotted saw horses. I think it just adds character :)

I plan on hitting Lowe's tomorrow for my plywood top and can finish the work bench then. Hopefully I can tell you all about it over the weekend!

Ten Years Ago Today

2011-09-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago today, the world was very different.

Ten years ago today, I was a senior in high school.

Ten years ago today, "terror" was what you felt when you forgot about a test in class.

Ten years ago today, I could walk up to the gate at an airport without any proof I intended to get on a plane.

Ten years ago today, security barely watched as you walked through metal detectors (with your shoes on).

Ten years ago today, we didn't define safety as red, orange, or yellow (although has it ever been green or blue?).

Ten years ago tomorrow, everything changed.

Ten years ago tomorrow, I sat in Pre-Calculus, working with some friends on problems. Our class president arrived late because he had dropped off the Senior Play t-shirt design to the print shop. He reported the radio was doing some dumb prank, saying a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. We all thought no one would believe that. Even if it was true, what chain of errors would lead to a plane actually crashing into such an obviously visible building? We went back to work.

A little while later, a teacher came in and said "Turn on the TV." Coach Brewer obliged and we all sat in shock. Both towers had been hit as well as the Pentagon with terrorist-hijacked planes. At first, I didn't realize the Pentagon had been hit as well. The news station had a split screen and all D.C. showed was a cloud of smoke from a huge distance. I thought the smoke from the World Trade Center was so massive, it could be seen as far away as D.C. As I listened to the few and fuzzy details, I realized there were three separate crashes. I turned to discuss what has happening to a friend and a classmates says, "It's falling!" Sure enough, one tower began to crumble. My class has never been as quiet as it was in that moment. Some time later, the other tower fell. And then the bell rang.

Everyone sat frozen, looking at each other, afraid to move. Finally, we did begin moving to our next class. Mine was Ecology. At this point we realized the crashes weren't just massive equipment failure. This was intentional. We talked about who could be motivated to do such a thing. Why could someone have so much hate in their heart that they would actually take the lives of thousands? I cried. We learned there was now a fourth crash, in a field in Pennsylvania. All flights were now grounded, a first in aviation history. Who knows how many lives were saved by that decision?

I called my dad. He couldn't talk long because he worked at a chemical plant, so they were on high alert. I needed to hear a voice of comfort though. We decided I'd stay at school as long as there was school. At some point in Ecology, I realized this was my generation's Kennedy assassination. I had heard my parents recount every detail of where they were and what they were doing when they heard the president had been shot. Now, I was living history.

We continued to move about our day; next for me was Bible. We talked more about what was happening before the bell rang for chapel. We prayed. We prayed for the victims, we prayed for their families, we prayed for those helping others. By this point, everyone was exhausted. We didn't know what to do or how to feel. Continuing to talk about it seemed like beating a dead horse, but some people still did need to sort out their feelings. Lunch was a relief. We could be with our friends, decide what and to what extent we debrief with each other.

I came into Yearbook. Nothing new had happened. Everyone tried to resume a sense of normalcy, knowing things were anything but normal. After Honors English, I went home. I don't remember the details of what my mom and I did when I got home. I do remember her saying that our church had announced it would be open for anyone who wanted to come and pray. When my dad got home, we all went. We sat in our pew, bowed our heads, and prayed. And cried. And prayed.

A lot can change in ten years.

Almost Done

2011-06-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty easy work wise. Half of our kids go to private schools, so they're already out for the summer and can be seen at times other than "after school." That means I've actually gotten a lot done for the office! I've still got some loose ends to tie up before I consider it "basically done." Let's face it, there's always something to do in every room, so it will never be DONE done.

Now for the eye candy...er...pictures. Excuse the quality. I can't even keep up with a blog, much less remember to keep my camera batteries charged, so you're getting cell phone pictures.

If you've missed what the heck is going on (or want to see some fun before pictures), click here and then here and you'll be caught up.

Upon walking into our office/third bedroom, you'll see this on your right (no, your other right)

And you'll see this bookcase/drawer combo

Remember, both drawers were based on Ana White's Braden series (just the drawer, not the entry hutch). I made some modifications so I had more room inside the drawers. I've got a lot of junk, y'all.

Here's the other one

Continuing on around the room, we come to this desk

Same thing only open

After the luck we had with our bedroom furniture, we ordered this desk from Wal-Mart's Canopy line. This desk is pretty awesome. It's exactly what we were looking for (a more compact desk) that assembled easily and is pretty solid. Now I unfortunately don't have an excuse for not doing my school work :( Only the room is :)

Still to do is to get some brackets and shelves for my crafty stuff. I also have plans to build Ana White's sewing table, but I've got a few other projects that are higher on the list. The stain is drying on a wood box I built using scraps (and oh man, is it built from scraps). Then my mission is to get the garage in a state that I love (oh I've got plans). That will be at least through the summer. Then it's fall, which means football and everything else on the weekends. Then it's winter and it'll be too cold. So the table may or may not get built within this year. But I'm ok with that and hope you will be, too. :)

During

2011-05-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

The office remains a work in progress. The good news is it's very close to being done. The bad news is that means it's totally torn apart and there's not a whole lot to show for our efforts (which then results in another long hiatus from the blog). Part of the delay was waiting for the weather and my schedule to clear up long enough to work on the second drawer unit. It finally got done:

I also found some new curtains (which you can just see behind the futon) on clearance at Lowe's. They're blackout curtains which is great since the window is the last one that needs blinds. The only part I dislike is that I had to cover up some great details around the window, but the room gets direct sunlight for most of the afternoon and I didn't want the stuff I have sitting on top of the ledge across from the window getting any more faded.

Inside the drawer. Since this photo, we have gotten a third box for our files. I also hope to get a couple of magazine holders and store Adam's collection in here.

In other news, I've also been working on a couple of yard projects.

I planted some hosta and spread around some new dirt in the new flower bed. Bugs have eaten some of the leaves, but I can never catch any in the act to see what it is so I can use a proper repellant. Hopefully they don't actually do too much damage. I also hope to get some impatiens in the ground before too long.

In trying to bring color to the yard, I went out and bought these two planters from Wal-Mart and finally got some plants to put in them. I've got a day lilly in the turquoise and I think a butterfly bush...I forget what the tag called it, but it looks like a butterfly bush in the yellow.

I still need to spread the leveling sand and set the edger stones around the bed and spread dirt around the irises that decided to bloom (and are now all dying...just the blooms though...Shouldn't be concerned, right?). I'd love to plant a few more flowers and maybe add a wind chime or some other fun things and the back yard will be almost complete!

I've finished a few projects, yet somehow a thousand more have been added to my list. How does that work?

Life and Drawers

2011-04-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

I mentioned yesterday that life had been a run-away train. Between the house, husband, dog, work, and church, it's a wonder I actually have time to watch TV :) It's about to get a little crazier, too. I don't remember if I mentioned this or not on the blog, but I'm going back to school. The state of Kentucky requires me to have 15 hours towards a Masters to keep my teaching certificate current. I have until next year to get that done. Tomorrow, I will begin my first summer course (yeah, a summer term that starts in April. Whatever). Luckily, I only have to be on campus the first day and the rest is online. For the second summer session, things will get very interesting as I'm taking 2 classes and I'm not sure how much will be online vs. on campus. BTW, I'm obviously getting a Masters in Education, but I will take a few additional hours to have an endorsement as a Reading/Writing Specialist. I'm happy to have a conversation about why!

Anyway, I told you all that so that I can be even more excited to show off my latest project:

No, I did not built that entire thing. No that is not one solid piece. The top section is actually half of a pair of bookshelves my daddy built me when I was little. We've had them stacked on top of each other in the office and they held canvas bins with my crafty supplies (I looked for a picture, but I totally can't find one with the bins). When we started plotting what we actually wanted to DO with the office, we took a few measurements. Turns out one on its side measured the same as the walls on either side of the windows. Thing was, they're still only a few feet tall and we've got some high ceilings. Plus, we were utilizing the tops to hold picture albums and scrapbooks. Our solution? Huge drawers. I thought I may be able to make up how to build it. After all, it's a big box with one side open with another, slightly smaller box without a top stuck inside. However, I felt the need to browse Ana White's plans just in case.

My box is basically the Braden Entryway Drawer Bench, modified for what I needed. I did use 1x12s for the drawer sides and back, but didn't do essentially steps 3 and 4. In step 2, the bottom part is actually at the bottom. Also note, in step 8, she talks about installing the drawer slides, but doesn't include them in the shopping list. The comments also have a few comments about the drawer slides and I agree that a single under-mount is wobbly. I wonder if a side mount would be better? I'll pick up 2 more slides on my semi-weekly trip to Lowe's and go ahead and install 2 for the second drawer and hopefully get around to installing a second in the first (that makes sense, right?).

The rest of the plan includes moving these books to the sideways bookshelves and selling this bookshelf (or at least possibly moving it to the guest room). This wall will get shelves on the wall for my crafty bins and also a secretary-style desk for me to do homework/crafty projects.

This wall will stay relatively unchanged. The lamp will get moved for another drawer/bookshelf unit. The file cabinet and desk/chair will get sold. The drawer on this side will get inserts for hanging files and will hopefully have room to hold old magazines, notebooks, etc.

This gives a better idea of how tall the unit actually is. Not quite as ginormous as it looked at first! Although the drawer measures 29" across and is 23" front to back (deep? wide?)

Room for all of my scrapbooks!

After the second drawer gets built (the rain lately makes it tough to get spread out and saw), the next big project will be a garage work bench and storage!

10 Things I Don't Hate About You

2011-04-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

I was tagged some time ago by one of my besties, Michel, for 10 Things I Love. Life has, of course, continued to be a run-away train, with no end in sight so I'm just now getting around to it. A second straight day of thunderstorms will do that to a gal. Plus, I've re-claimed my garage parking spot for the moment, so I'll be updating soon on what has been occupying that spot ;)

Rules:
1) State who gave you this award in your post
2) State 10 things that you love
3) Give this award to 10 other bloggers, listing them at the end of the post,
and notify them with a lovely comment.

BTW, these are in no particular order!

1. My Husband

A little obvious, but what can I say? I kinda like the guy :)

2. Mister

This dog has the uncanny ability to make my day better. Husband's too. He has been a learning experience and we continue to work through separation anxiety, but he has been great the past few times I've left him in the crate while Adam was home.

3. The family cabin

In the 1940s, my grandfather on my dad's side bought a one-room stone cabin on the shore of Batchawana Bay, off Lake Superior, just north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He used it as a hunting lodge and would go with his buddies. As the only doctor in rural Ohio, this was one of the few places he could go and truly be away from it ALL. It became the family vacation spot and I have enjoyed going up every year since I was born. Within the past 10 years we have added a hot water heater/shower, deck, phone line, and just last year a flush toilet. It's had electricity since about the 70s (I think). There's still no TV and spotty cell phone reception (international calling anyway). There's only internet at the Voyageur Restaurant down the road or in town at the Steamy Bean coffee shop or public library. It's a slice of heaven :) We have made wonderful friends with families along the beach and I look forward to telling my kids all of the stories of trouble my friend and I would get into and the history of the place.

4. Our house

I have loved having our house to decorate and make "ours." Even though I sometimes wish for a larger garage or bigger lot with mature trees, for a starter house, it's pretty awesome!

5. My family

I have told Husband on several occasions how happy I am that both of our families get along. Growing up, Dad's family lived in Ohio/Michigan, Mom's in North Carolina, and we were in Alabama, so neither side interacted. It's been great when both sides get together. Our moms carry on and giggle and plot against us while our grandmothers grandmother us. Dads and Pawpaw take care of projects we don't quite know how to tackle. Our siblings join us in shaking our heads at the craziness of it all. (Not pictured in above picture are my mom and Husband's Pawpaw as they are both the ones taking pictures).

6.My Girls

These ladies are amazing. Each one comes from a different place (literally and figuratively) and I adore each one of them. They are all doing amazing things in life and can't wait to be old ladies together

7. Auburn Football

((image courtesy of Fox Sports)

War Eagle. That's all I need to say.

8. Television

(Image courtesy of Modern Family's Facebook Page)

Rarely is there a time when at least 1 television isn't on in our house. Many times it's just background noise, but come primetime, there are several shows I actually try to watch while hanging out on Facebook. Modern Family, House, Parenthood, Wipeout, 30 Rock, Raising Hope, Glee, I could do a 10 Things Post just on TV shows. I wish I spent more time in the evenings reading or otherwise doing things productive. But I don't.

9. Third Street Stuff and Coffee

(image courtesy of Third Street Stuff)

This is the place that whenever Mama Nancy is in town, Michel and I will meet her here. It's barely a block from Transy's campus. While Transy actually built its own coffee shop in the year before we graduated, this place has oodles more character and charm. What initially drew us here was that all of their coffee drinks feature Fair Trade coffee (Google it). Being socially responsible is just part of it. They have a Happy Hour where drinks are 1/2 price and their drinks are already 1/2 the price of Starbucks. Supporting local business, supporting Fair Trade, both on the cheap? Sign me up! Plus, we get to hang out with Hendrick.

10. My Job

(image courtesy of The Curious Edge)

When people ask what I do, it's always interesting to explain. I do a little of everything. Officially, our office is The Curious Edge and we do several educational enrichment things. Most of my time is spent with The Reading Room. We specialize in diagnosing (not me specifically, but I'm hoping to gain that qualification in the next few years) and tutoring students with dyslexia. We use the Barton Reading and Spelling System, which is based on Orton-Gillingham research (they're the language gurus). My kids are so much fun! I love literally seeing their wheels turn as they finally understand printed text. Knowing that the whole world will be theirs is pretty incredible. I actually use things I've taught/learned from tutoring and I went into Kindergarten reading!

I also help out with Club Scientific. When I was laid off from teaching full time, CS asked if I'd be willing to help out since they do a lot of things in school (such as field trips and mini-camps). While it's not my passion that tutoring is, I still love seeing kids "DO" science. I wish science was fun when I was in school!

I'm supposed to tag people, but I don't really feel like it this time around (sorry Chel :))

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-03-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Y'all! I am so excited! My buddy Oscar, at A Canine Opines, nominated yours truly for a Stylish Blogger!

I've seen this pop up on several blogs I follow and always figured I didn't have the traffic or followers to participate. When I saw it pop up in his latest post, I actually clicked the link to make sure it was me and not someone else! I am honestly humbled (or as Kelly would say, "chawed"). I certainly don't think of myself as "stylish" in anyway, but I'll gladly accept! Thank you, Oscar!

This award comes with some responsibilities and they are:

Thank the blogger who gave the award. (Check!)
Share 7 things about yourself/your pets. (This is like 2 Truths and a Lie...which I am terrible at coming up with TWO things about me! I can do it though.)
Pass the award onto 15 other bloggers. (I don't know if I know 15 bloggers that haven't already received this, but we'll see what I can do!)

7 Things About Me:

1. We (Husband and I) adopted a Jack Russel mix last summer. He has brought even more laughter and joy to our relationship. You can read his blog here: A Tale of a Tail

2. I have a fear of heights and slight fear of water (Clearly, Mister comes by his fear honestly). Consequently, I HATE bridges. Lord help us if there's a back-up on the International Bridge.

3. I have spent at least a couple of days each summer at my family's cabin in Canada. Except one. I don't like to talk about why.

4. I read too much into things and often end up with my feelings hurt for probably no reason.

5. I am a "cradle Disciple" meaning I have belonged to a Disciples of Christ church my whole life. It's about as non-denominational as a denomination can be. I love it.

6. I'm actually pretty introverted. Depending on the context in which you know me, this may be surprising. However, I much prefer observing to participating. Although that may just be because I'm socially awkward (thanks Transy).

7. One of my top three times of day is after I "powder my nose" after waking up. Mister waits at the bathroom door and is so adorable in his sitting. Then he play bows and if I squat down, he rolls onto his back for a belly rub. Like clock-work. Love this dog!

Alright, so now it's time to nominate. Most of the things on my Reader are news feeds (if you count celebrity gossip as news). So I'm just going to list some of my (and a few of Mister's favorite blogs.

Faith120604 (also read her at His Little Pink Sheep)

Babies & Beasts

You Paid More Than Me

It's a Dog's Life

The Clueless Homeowners

Mint Julips and Magnolias

Life in the Fun Lane

Hawthorn and Holly

Life's Garden (this one's a shameless plug. It's my mom's!)

Moonfly Studio

Love Always, Bear

Tiffy's World

Product Review

2011-03-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

This may be a first on The Couch. I don't normally do reviews on products. I'm pretty laid back, plus things are just that: things. In the event of emergency, they could be replaced. However, once in a while a product warrants thumbs up or down. Be it because of cost, quality (hopefully both), or life-changing-ness. This is one of those times.

If you follow Mister's blog (if you don't, you should. He's got a great month to observe), you may have read that we recently bought a "Carpet Monster," aka a vacuum (10 points to who figured that out first). Both Husband and I have lived our adult lives on hand-me-down vacuums. Some things as hand-me-downs are great. Some serve a purpose. Some would probably be better off in a dump. Vacuums probably belong in the latter category. Until now though, neither of us cared if the vacuum sucked, literally or figuratively. With the becoming not-so-recent addition of a certain shed machine, though, suddenly we care.

Mister's fur blends in nicely with our carpet, which is why we haven't really been in a hurry to replace our increasingly not sucking (literally) vacuum. We kind of forgot it was there. However, after snuggling or playing in the floor, we were oh so reminded that his fur hasn't disappeared. How that dog isn't bald yet, I'll never know. Although I shed every bit as much as he does.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, the vacuum, reviewing it, gotcha. So our vacuum figuratively sucks. We had both heard the praises of the Dyson brand, but couldn't quite stomach $500 for a vacuum. The more I read though, the more I was becoming sold. Tales of people who were amazed at how much Dyson literally sucked. Finally, after Husband realized just how hard it was to clean the brush thing on our old vacuum and once it was clean, still didn't pick up anything, I convinced him to take the plunge. Only problem? The $500 for a vacuum.

Enter tax return. Or Husband's year-end bonus. Either one covered the cost (yay us!). We were planning on finding a 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupon and use credit card rewards to get a gift card to help off-set the cost. Then we saw last Sunday's paper and a 20% off Dyson sale. We have plenty of other things we could get at BBB and needed to hit the mall anyway, so off to Sears. I'm pretty sure we're the only people in the history of Lexington to intentionally go into Sears. Anyway, we ended up with the Dyson DC25 Animal.

In all of my review reading, this one seemed to best suit our needs. The difference between the "Animal"and the standard "all floors" is the inclusion of a mini-turbine to use on upholstery. I believe the turbine is available to purchase separately though, if you want to save a few bucks off the top. I also liked the idea of the ball instead of the regular vacuum build. Our vacuum also has a lifetime HEPA filter, making it great of allergy sufferers (which we think Mister may have).

I got my new baby home and put it together. Assembly was pretty easy, although the directions weren't all that clear. Pictures are great and all, but I like words too. All told, it took about 15 minutes, including my initial "what does this do?" time. Then came the test. I have now vacuumed my entire house.

The ball maneuverability is great. I wouldn't say it "turns with the flip of a wrist" as it's a little heavier that than. I still found myself doing the back and forth motion of regular vacuums, but it was handy being able to just go around the dining table instead of working my way out. Keep in mind it's still a vacuum and is pretty big so there are a few crevices it just won't reach.

This thing SUCKS. Literally. Our house is about 1800 sq. ft. and I had to empty the canister 3 times. Well, technically it would have been 2, but there was a big clump of hair stuck near the top I didn't see. Cleaning the canister was super easy. Pop it out, push a button, and the bottom drops out, taking the dust, dirt, and gunk with it. I will say that I've read you'll never need to come into contact with dust, but unless you have super short, not clumping hair, that's not entirely true. I had to grab and pull just a smidge. Also, if you have severe allergies, be warned that when you empty the canister, there's an inevitable dust cloud.

Dyson also advertised a "quick-draw telescope reach" for corners and around the ceiling. I've found that's not entirely true either. It take more effort than just pull our the hose, but it IS pretty nifty.

All I have to do is rinse out the filter every few months (maybe I'll get on a schedule of rinsing the vacuum filter and replacing the air filter) and let dry throughly. Pretty neat if you ask me. Also, Dysons come with a 5 year warranty, so if anything breaks, they'll replace it. How much have you spent on vacuums (that don't do a great job) in 5 years? Quite possibly the same as a Dyson.

My only issue (and it might just be me) is the mini-turbine head. It's great to have, as it picks up crumbs and what-not from the couch cushions. However, I have yet to find a place to keep it on the vacuum. All the other attachments had a place to pop them on so they're handy. The mini-turbine? Not so much. Has anyone figured out where it goes when not in use?

Overall, for a $500 vacuum, it better work. And it does a GREAT job. It is definitely easier to maneuver with the ball. The hose and cord have a great reach, plus the telescoping thing. I give it two thumbs up. Now if only someone could come up with a roller brush that won't get hair wound all around it.

DISCLAIMER: Dyson has no idea who I am. I used my own money to purchase said vacuum. I have in no way been compensated for my time or opinions. All opinions are mine.

Now I've Done It!

2011-03-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what having 4 legs and a cute face will make an "upright" do. Not only does Mister have Twitter (which is the easiest way for you to get updates on him), but now he's blogging, too! Head over to http://mrappgate.blogspot.com to see what he has to say. Maybe he'll be more talkative on his blog than his mom is on hers!

Show Us Your Life-Alma Maters

2011-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Two blog posts in the same week? Be still my heart! Today at Kelly's Korner, her weekly "Show us your life" is alma maters. Those of y'all that know me in real life know I'm a die-hard Auburn fan. With that said, you might be surprised to learn I, in fact, never actually attended Auburn (my sister is an alum though, which makes me part of the Auburn family anyway). I grew up in a small town in NW Alabama (like about as far into that corner as you can be). I say small, but it was the largest town in the area. Of course, to a high schooler, it felt smaller. I wanted the heck out of there!

My parents told me early in my high school career that I can attend any school I wanted and they'd make it happen. The catch? It had to be at least 50 miles away. I knew even then what my parents were doing. The college in my hometown is very much a "commuter" school. The students live at home and attend classes each day. And they never leave, never exposing themselves to people and things that are different. They didn't want that for me. Luckily, I didn't want that for me either (although, I did actually enroll to take one summer class at that university. However, my parents had moved to Tennessee, so I think it still fell within their "50 mile" rule).

I considered a handful of small, liberal arts colleges smattered around the southeast. My high school was very small (72 in my graduating class. We were all up in each others business), so I felt I'd be lost going to a huge school like Auburn. I eventually settled on Transylvania University in Lexington, KY. Pretty much everyone at home had the same reaction: "Where? Isn't that with the vampires?"

No, non-Latin speakers! Trans is a prefix meaning "across" or "through." Sylvania, of course meaning "the woods." As Transy was the first college founded west of the Allegheny (or Appalachia) Mountains, it's a fitting name!

Truth be told, picking Transy was more of a process of elimination. All of the other schools I considered has religion or chapel requirements. I had that for all 4 years of high school, plus middle school and elementary. I was done. However, Transy is affiliated with my denomination, Disciples of Christ. So it has religious affiliation without being religious. Check! Small student population? Check! Set smack-dab in the middle of a mid-size city's downtown? Check! Not in Alabama and fulfills the 50 mile rule? Check and check! Sold!

Seen here is Haupt Humanities building. What college doesn't have the iconic clock tower building?

Seen here is Old Morrison, Transy's administrative building. It's also the inspiration for all of Transy's logos. There used to be gorgeous cherry trees lining the drive around, but they were lost in an ice storm my freshman year. They replanted, but are obviously much smaller.

My college experience wouldn't have been complete without these girls. My freshman roommate convinced me to go through Recruitment with her (Transy has 4 national sororities and 4 fraternities). We didn't end up sisters, but I found these ladies (Aren't we beautiful?) This is actually a picture of just the seniors on Bid Day my senior year. We went through a LOT as a pledge class, but they taught me the meaning of love, honor, and truth. Oh, in case you don't read Greek, I'm a Phi Mu.

These ladies and I were pledges together, sorority sisters together, rabble-rousers together, and best friends to this day. I love these ladies and they have continually showed me true sisterhood. We may not see each other often (although only Nancy has that excuse as she's currently in Haiti saving the world), but we always pick up where we left off.

So that's the Transy experience in a nutshell. It was some of the best times of my life as well as some of the worst. I'm thankful to have had the awful times though, because it all led me to where I am today.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I'm a few days late. But, honestly, did y'all really expect any different from me? :)

Husband and I celebrated on Saturday (the whole "holiday during the the week" thing should really be eradicated) by going to our traditional restaurant. He's brought me here every year since we were officially dating (he lucked out the first year as we were seeing each other, but not official on Valentine's Day). Dinner was, as always, delicious.

The actual day wasn't anything spectacular. I surprised him with cards and chocolate from both me and Mister. They were laying on our key table when he left for the morning. He had a card and chocolate for me when he got home from work. Curiously, we both exchanged chocolate with puppies on the boxes...I wonder why we were thinking dogs? ;)

As I mentioned last time (last month...same thing), not a lot of things are getting done around the house. We did spend a lot of time in the office last Saturday and started brainstorming. We're now going in a totally different direction.

Instead of building more bookshelves, we're taking two that we have and turning them on their sides. Before you scratch your head and say, "Huh?" allow me to explain. I've had these shelves since I was little. My daddy built them for my books and toys, so they have many different sized openings, most of which are perfect book-size, regardless of which way they're turned. As fate would have it, they also measure exactly the same for the wall we want to put them on (either side of the window). The plan now is to build a base drawer for them to sit on. The shelves will only rise about 4 feet, so I'm going to build 2 drawers (one for each side), about 1.5 feet high and just over a foot deep. One will house my picture albums and scrapbooks and the other will become the new file cabinet. The futon will either stay where it is, go where the shelves are now, or go away entirely. We're not quite ready to write up a post for Craigslist just yet, as the futon was handy during the holiday season. We'll see what it looks like when we make the other changes first.

The desk will most likely end up on Craigslist, though, in favor of a new, smaller one to be placed on the wall where our dedicated bookshelf is (which will also likely end up on Craigslist).

We plan to put up shelves over the desk to house my crafty stuff (now that it all has pretty storage anyway). I'd also like to build a table for my sewing machine, since it's a pain in the butt to drag out and put back. Husband has grand plans of getting a treadmill or exercise bike and work out in the mornings. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one ;)

Plans

2011-01-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Ugh! Has is really been over a month since I last updated? I would say 2011 will be different, but I've had this blog for over 2 years. It won't get better. There is a little bit of hope though, because I have several projects planned for 2011. Unfortunately, they won't really get started until early-spring.

Until that happens, I can share what I'm dreaming up FOR said projects ;) I've mentioned Ana White's website several times. So far I've built this headboard:

this console table:

and talked my dad into building me these nightstands:

(By the way, I added some curtains in this room, too! One day I'll actually take a picture of it!)

A few days ago, she had a post about Google's SketchUp, the software she uses to design her plans. Naturally, I had to play around with it! After my initial learning curve (and it was a pretty big curve. I had given up last night, but decided to try one more time today), I sketched up my plans for a workbench for the garage:

Ignore SketchUp Susan standing IN my workbench. I am still learning and literally figured out about 5 minutes ago that there were more than 4 template options :/

Anyway, my plans aren't nearly as informative as Ana's so I'll just have to explain them. I plan on an 8 ft. workbench. I know, it's crazy long, but since studs come in 8 ft. lengths, it's kind of perfect. Second, it's only going to be 21-22" deep. That's crazy shallow, but we just don't have the extra room in the garage for wider without sacrificing a parking space. And since it snowed about 2 inches last night, neither one of us are willing to give up our indoor parking spots. It should, however, be deep enough to hold my miter saw (which is all I cared about). I also plan to put casters on the bottom, so that when I am working (I do actually sacrifice my spot for that), I can pull it away from the wall for easy clean-up. I love the idea of the bottom shelves to hold my new circular saw and those other odds and ends that are too big for the pegboard and compressor shelf. I might end up just building the miter saw it's own bench and build a separate bench for clean work space...Winter is just beginning, so there's no telling what this will look like in a couple of months!

So that's my big plan for 2011. I've got a few other projects for the garage, including mounting pegboard for the smaller tools and building a shelf for the air compressor. I also plan to build these bookshelves for the office to give us a little more room in the garage. I have a few other smaller project hopes, which may or may not include a trip to Ikea (OK, probably, may or may not include a few gallons of paint (OK, probably), and possibly may involve me departing from my beloved Lowe's for it's big orange competitor because I REALLY want these chairs. We shall see how it all plays out!

Tis the Season

2010-12-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

Brrr! It is super cold here. We actually had our second snowfall of the year the other day...when we normally don't see snow until at LEAST after Christmas!
Christmas season is fully upon us. Husband and I are going tree shopping this weekend and will decorate it next week. We've got lots of present shopping that needs to get done, cards to send, family to see, parties to attend (and host). A lesser person would be overwhelmed. However, I just survived the craziest month EVER, so I'm not stressed about it. It all gets done...usually on time.
I hosted Thanksgiving this year. What the heck was I thinking? It sounded like a great idea in September! We've never had that many people over period, let alone to sit down to a full dinner. I've never cooked a turkey...ever. On top of all the stuff I was responsible for doing at church, I had several evenings full of tears. Partly because of stress, partly because we were yet AGAIN eating take-out. Maybe I was stressed BECAUSE we were eating take-out. Yeah, that's good for my heart.
Life, obviously, hasn't exactly slowed down and eating out is on the menu at least Friday, possibly tonight because of a meeting I have after work (why do I bother meal planning?) I did, however, want to take a moment to share some pictures of our Thanksgiving.
Like I said, we hosted. This meant my parents, my sister, my grandmother, Husband's parents, Husband's brother, and Husband's grandparents. Luckily, his family is close enough to come in that morning and left that evening. My parents got a hotel room. So really, we only had my grandmother and sister actually stay with us. Mister loved all the attention. So many people to beg from!

The buffet ready for the food

Mister begging

Waiting on the food

More snacking and waiting

"Need any help, Mom?"

Carving the turkey and mashing potatoes

Will sit for food

How do you resist this face?

The food is done!

Almost everyone

Find the difference

Sweet potatoes and dressing

Turkey and mac and cheese

Me with my table. Breathe a sigh of relief!

Show Me Your Life - Laundry Room

2010-11-19T09:37:00.001-08:00

I'm going to say something not many people say. I love my laundry room. No, I REALLY love my laundry room! It's one of the few rooms that actually has a color scheme and I selected it mostly to build from for when we get to the rest of the house. In short, actual THOUGHT went into decorating this room.
Now, you're probably wondering "Seriously? Who decorates a laundry room?" Most people want to get in, get out, and be done, right? Laundry is one of the few (and I mean FEW) household chores I don't mind doing. Do I wake up on laundry day and jump on Husband and say, "It's laundry day! Hooray!!"? No. But I also mind getting up every 35-50 minutes (depending on the wash or dry cycle) and switching things out, or bringing a load into the living room to fold while I watch TV. Ironing, well, that's another story.
Anyway, our laundry room is a pass through to get from the garage into our house, but we don't actually use anything in there as the "catch-all." Our keys, my purse, etc. all live somewhere else in the house, so it's actually fairly easy to keep clean.
The pictures are a little light, as we have a fluorescent fixture in the laundry room (which will be gone once I brush up on my electrical skillz). It looks like more yellow, than green, but I promise it's a pretty light apple green. When we paint the kitchen (which connects to the laundry room), it will be a shade darker and match accessories we have in there.

The washing machine, water heater, and cleaning organizer. The washing machine and dryer were a move-in gift from our parents (all 4 of them) when we got our first apartment, which conveniently had hook-ups :)

The "folding table," which as I've said, I don't fold there, so it's where Husband's work shirts live until I get around to ironing (see the board hanging on the wall?) The only difference between today and when this picture was taken is that the dog crate is no longer there. A Mister update is sorely needed, but suffice it to say that his crate in in our bedroom and the laundry baskets are in place of the crate.

The art I did over the folding table. On the far left says "Laundry schedule: sort...later, wash...tomorrow, fold...next week, iron...get real!" I made it (and it's counter-part on the right) out of scrapbook paper and a frame I ordered online (since 12x12 isn't really standard i.e. cheap). The one on the right says "Laundry today or naked tomorrow!" Teeheehee! In the middle is a print I ordered from Amazon.com. It cost a whopping $0 thanks to gift cards I had earned through Swagbucks (ask me how you can get Swagbucks, and yes, I promise it's NOT a scam!)

My biggest accomplishment in the laundry room was lowering the shelf that was above our washer and dryer. I stand at a statuesque 4'8" so reaching over the machines and getting the bins without anything falling on me just didn't happen. I can now get a good firm grip on the bins (or basket, which is what the detergent lives in) and lower it without getting a concussion...or breaking anything. It will most likely have to be raised whenever we move, but that won't be soon, so I'm making my house livable! Of course, now we have a huge open space OVER the shelf that I'm trying to figure out how to fill...

Show Me Your Life - Bathrooms

2010-11-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Today's installment of Kelly's Show Me Your Life is bathrooms. We have 2 full baths. Our first apartment together had 2 baths and that came in handy more than once (sometimes you just can't wait), so one requirement when we were shopping was at least 1.5 baths.

This is our guest bath. It's nothing super exciting, tub/shower combo, toilet, and single vanity. There is a small linen closet on the right side, hiding behind the door, which is pretty handy. This bathroom is outfitted with all the bathroom stuff we got for our wedding (basically because it's the bathroom that required a shower curtain and our wedding set was newer). Unfortunately, that meant the soft, fluffy towels went in there as well. We're slowly working on getting nice ones in the master though!

Speaking of the master, here it is!

Double vanity, something our apartment didn't have and I now can't live without!

Garden tub and stand-alone shower (to the right, just outside of the picture).

The neatest part about the master is that the toilet has its own little room. I can do my business in peace while Husband brushes his teeth or whatever. There is also a linen closet directly across from the toilet.

I have just one question. Can anyone give me a logical reason for the towel bar over the toilet? Clearly our sink is in the other section and I'm certainly not wiping my hands on a towel BEFORE they get washed (just ew). Why is it there? Whenever we get around to painting, it will come down and be donated to Habitat Restore or Goodwill or someplace unless I get one logical reason as to why I should keep it there.

Show Me Your Life-Guest Rooms

2010-10-29T09:45:00.001-07:00

I've been on hiatus the past couple of weeks from Kelly's Show Me Your Life series. Mostly because it's been the office (which I'm not a huge fan of, decor wise. I'm just uninspired for it) and kids rooms (which we don't have any kids, therefore no kids rooms!). But this week is guest rooms and I LOVE ours! We've put a lot of work into it and I think it's turning out pretty special.

This is our guest bed. My dad built the night stands from this Knock-Off Wood design. I supervised one of them, mostly to learn about using a nail gun. My observations paid off because not only did I build the console table I shared a little while ago, but I also built the headboard! The headboard is from this Knock-Off Wood plan, except I ONLY built the headboard part. We have a frame already and I didn't really want the footboard.

Better look at the headboard

And a close-up of the nightstand. Forgive the blurry, yellow tinge. I am NOT a photographer, so I don't know how to adjust for different lighting.

Opposite from the bed is a dresser and quilt with stand. The stand was a Christmas present last year, so I had a better way of displaying the quilt. This quilt is pretty special. My great-aunt's great aunt handmade this quilt when she was in her 80s. It laid on the bed of my great-aunt (who was more of my grandmother, but that's a long story) and was one of the things she brought from home to her nursing home. It was on our guest bed for a time, but I was always worried something would happen to it.
The dresser also has a story. My several-times-great grandmother used this as her suitcase. She had, I think, 6 kids that she lived with for 2 months at a time. She would just load her dresser on the back of the wagon and haul it to the next house. My parents held it in their guest room for a while and when I mentioned I'd like to have it "one day" they brought it up!

All that's left for this room is to hang curtains, get a duvet for our duvet cover (we did that a little bass-ackwards, but that's ok!), and I have a short list of small accessories (like an old fashioned alarm clock) to get.

Show Me Your Life - Kitchen

2010-10-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've been caught now. The kitchen is one of a handful of rooms that I haven't done much of anything to. Actually, some of the photos I'm posting are from when we moved in! But that's OK. I have plans. I just need some cash-ola, then some time to actually do what I want.

Sink area (move-in picture--it hasn't changed and the sink is a disaster right now!)

Opposite of the sink

Breakfast nook. Please excuse the tape of the floor--our builder came through for a one-year inspection and we had some grout replaced. Also, excuse Mister's tail :)

Butler's pantry, a.k.a. the bar. You'd think we drank a whole lot more than we actually do to see this picture (especially if I opened the cabinets!)

Being a new construction home, we got to pick pretty much everything except the cabinets (which had already been ordered when we came along). Luckily, we liked them! We got to pick the tile for our back splash, the sink faucet, and our appliances. We also got to pick all of our lighting fixtures, but we chose to save money and just go with the basic already included package. Mostly because we knew we could buy different fixtures for less and install ourselves (which is what we did with the ceiling fans). However, honestly, I don't really mind any of our light fixtures. I'd like to eventually get rid of the fluorescent light in the laundry room. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy. The one thing I WOULD like to do with the lights is change the shades over the table. Lowes sells what I want for pretty reasonable (compared the the cost of replacing the fixture itself).

My First Project

2010-10-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

At long last, the stars have aligned and I actually got the console table I built decorated. This was my first foray into building something with power tools. And I still have all my limbs! I found the plan at Knock-Off Wood. Dad loaned (and has since gifted) me his nail gun and air compressor and Husband found a deal of the day on Amazon for a miter saw 50% off. I also had some gift cards saved up, so this project cost about $100, for power tools and lumber. When I went to by lumber, the total came at $70, but I was buying for two separate projects (the other of which will get revealed in a little bit). My point in all that rambling is that, assuming you have the basic
power tools, this project would probably cost about $30.

Building: The directions were very clear about what goes where and how to attach it. Ana includes pictures for each step, which is great for us visual learners! However, I recommend NOT resizing the pictures to print. In trying to save paper, I made the pictures too small and couldn't really see what I was supposed to do. As a result, the bottom support isn't attached where it is supposed to be. I was wondering why some of my pieces were too long! I think it still turned out OK.
Also, make sure you take a tape measure with you to Lowe's (or be prepared to do some math BEFORE you start). My 1x12 actually measured 11", therefore, when I went to attach the top (the very last step--ARGH!), I had a half inch sticking out from the bottom on each side. Since I don't have a circular saw (yet), I had to cut 2-6" pieces the old fashioned way and sanded it almost even. You can only tell by looking directly over it, so I think I'm good. Also, because I had to cut apart my 1x12, I cut out the last step for the top top. I don't think it suffered!

Finish: I stained it in Minwax walnut and used 2 coats of Minwax polyurethane semi-gloss.

I've actually since bought a buffet lamp, but here's the table in all of its glory! I'd love to get a fall table runner, but I think the sideboard in the dining room may win out on getting that first.

Thank you so much, Ana, for giving average people with small budgets the confidence to create nice things themselves. Despite the issues (which were all noob mistakes), I had a blast building this and look forward to working on the Rustic Modern Console table for our entry way (as well as plenty of other projects)!

Show Me Your Life - Dining Room

2010-10-01T08:53:00.001-07:00

A long time ago, I mentioned I painted the dining room RED. I never got around to posting pictures because we took our sweet time buying furniture. It's still not decorated as well or as much as I'd like, but it's another room that's so close to finished, I don't feel bad participating once again in Kelly's Show Us Your Life series.

Our side board with tea cups and saucer

Our beautiful wedding china on display

The whole room (an part of the butler's pantry) today, mostly decorated

The whole room from another angle.

I still want something on the wall over the side board. A rug would be nice. And the candle sticks don't really fit the color scheme of the house (I promise I do actually have one), but my grandmother bought them on her trip to Latvia in 2007, her first since WW II. They're a little special :)

The Puppy Dog

2010-09-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss. Oh my goodness. How I have let this drag on for so long, I have no idea! A little while (ok, like 2 posts and 3 months ago), I mentioned we adopted a four-legged bundle of joy. We're almost 3 months into this whole dog-parent thing (don't be surprised when I refer to him as "puppy." He's not. He's just too cute to not call him my puppy) now and that lone post remains the only evidence of Mister in our lives :(.
We've had an...interesting time so far! We've had to deal with separation anxiety, so if y'all have any tips, let them roll! Consequently, we've been working with a behaviorist. Becoming confident leaders has been tough, but he's catching on to not being first and not getting attention because he's asking for it. We still struggle with his constant barking when he's in his crate and I'm gone (I'm the one he's attached to), though. Our trainer keeps reminding us that "Separation anxiety is a marathon, not a sprint." The goal is to have him be able to stay home after Christmas when I head to Ohio for a wedding and Husband stays home. That gives us 3 months. Sigh. Start praying now!
Don't get me wrong! When we're home, Mister is the sweetest thing. He loves his weekend belly rubs and ear scratches. He never barks at other people or animals. He's perfectly content to lay around and sleep all day. We're in love and we're trying our best to help him understand he's a keeper!
Enough words though. This little boy is too cute to not post a zillion pictures!

Our first family portrait, while on vacation in Canada

Helping Dad play his video games

"I love having my neck and belly scratched!

Enjoying the back yard

Naturally, as Halloween approaches, we will have super-adorable pictures of Mister in his costume. Not sure what he'll be yet. Husband has his heart set on Batman, but Target was sold out in stores and I don't really want to pay shipping for it. I might have to DIY Batman.

Show Me Your Life- Master Bedroom

2010-09-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Once again, I write my apologies. I promise I've been working on some projects. One is technically done, but I want to finish decorating it before I show it off. Don't worry, I just need a lamp. Too bad they're freakin' expensive!

Anyway, one of the blogs I read is starting up a home tour for "Show Me Your Life" every Friday. First up is the master bedroom. Luckily, this is one of the most finished rooms in our house, so I figured now was a great time to get involved is this as well as jumping back on the blogging wagon :)

So without further adieu, here's our master bedroom:

Obviously, this is our bed. All of our bedroom furniture came from Wal-Mart, of all places! It's surprisingly high quality and was extremely affordable. We asked for the nightstands for Christmas one year just to test it out. They ship for free site-to-store. My mom took advantage of this for the Christmas night stands, but we opted for delivery for the other pieces. No way were they going to fit in our cars!

This is Husband's dresser (which I'm trying to figure out how to steal for myself). The only complaints we have about our furniture are on this dresser--the drawers are a little snug. I could probably sand down the openings, but haven't gotten around to it.

This is my dresser (which I want to trade with for Husband's). I'm short and this dresser is not! I'd like to see what's sitting on top. Anyways, we also have a little reading area, even though most of our reading actually happens in the bed. This pictures on the wall are a cross-stitch prayer my grandmother made us for a wedding gift (which ended up being a first anniversary gift, but that doesn't make it less special)! In the middle is a Native American marriage blessing Husband's uncle gave for Christmas one year. Finally, we have a signature mat from our wedding with an engagement picture. We opted for a signature mat instead of a guest book just so we could be reminded of our loved ones all the time. Plus, we are rapidly running out of room on our book shelf!

So that's essentially our master bedroom. Nothing fancy and not completely done, but it suits us and it's a relaxing place to be at night!

Not a Real Update

2010-09-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

One of these days I'll post a real update. I'm sure everyone wants to see some Mister! For now, this post is just so I can copy some pictures to a program so I can do a little decorating online before I start drilling into brick and digging up plants ;) Now you're really curious, huh? Let's just say this weekend has produced a nail gun and air compressor(not for keeps, but for borrows), so I'll have a few other updates.

2010-07-10T07:15:00.001-07:00

So, remember how I mentioned I got motivated to fix up the laundry room due to "the impending arrival of a four-legged, furry friend?" Well, you were probably too caught up in my use of alliteration to think about what that meant. Meet Mister:

He's an about 5 year old Jack Russell mix. So far, he's pretty low-key which matches our lifestyle pretty nicely. We brought him home yesterday and seems to be settling in.

We're still working on making our yard essentially inescapable (and being a little perturbed at the fence people but that's another story), so we're not letting him out without a leash. Luckily, he's very good with it!

Just wanted to share our new bundle of joy ;)

Laundry Room

2010-07-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to working on the laundry room. I had lofty goals, so it took awhile for me to get motivated...and to find time to actually get it all done! Turns out the impending arrival of a particular four-legged furry friend was all the motivation I needed (as the laundry room will be his temporary bedroom).

What I did: Painted, lowered the shelf over the washer/dryer, did a little DIY artwork/Amazon.com shopping

Art, folding table, and ironing board

Me reaching our new shelf! I subscribed to my mom's theory of home decorating/renovating which is do things for you and your everyday life. When we go to sell, the shelf will likely need to be raised back, as your average home buyer is NOT 4'8". But this is for ME, NOW.

Another view of our new shelf.

Now all we need is something for the suddenly expansive area over the shelf! Any ideas?

Gatlinburg Observations

2010-06-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Husband and I took a short get-away trip to Gatlinburg this weekend to celebrate our two year anniversary. We had a great trip and pictures will follow. Until then, here are a few of our observations:

*Seiverville is the tri-cities area red-headed step-child. Pigeon Forge is the family city. Gatlinburg is the grandparent.

*Note: Kentucky is not the only state that cannot correctly pronounce the names of cities. Apparently the em-PHAS-is makes the step-child city sound like what a thunderstorm warning might be (severe), not the surname of the family on Growing Pains. We only learned this because of a television commercial.

*Multi-culturalism is not a word in their vocabulary. We could probably count on one hand the number of minorities we saw. See below.

*Confederate flags abound. I have never seen such a large collection of Rebel memorabilia. Likely contributing to the number of minorities in the area (see above).

*Target gladiator sandals are not appropriate for walking the Gatlinburg strip. Doing so results in blisters on the balls of one's feet (Ouch!).

*Hot tubs will help said blisters feel slightly better, but cushy, clearance flip-flops from Off Broadway help immensely.

*The Cub House cabin gets a big thumbs up for two anniversary get-awayers who wanted to mostly relax, but still be near restaurants.

*People from New York really are that bad.

*a) Buckeyes and Hoosiers re-inforce their reputation (at least in our house) of being terrible drivers.

*Apparently no one really applies logic to the location of certain businesses. Bubba Gump seafood restaurant and Titanic museum...in the mountains? Really?

*There are no less than 602,584 pancake restaurants in the tri-cities area. None are open for dinner. I'm not sure I can live in a world where breakfast for dinner isn't allowed.

...And I love Hargis. HEY!

2010-06-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

Last week, I made my almost annual trip to Chelsea, AL to counsel a group of wacky teenagers for the week at church camp. We filled our days with canoeing, swimming, fishing, family groups-ing, and corruption 101 (if you want to know, just ask :)). We spent the evenings dropping eggs, watching Glee, and worshipping an inclusive, loving God. Words can't describe the week I had. Reconciling what went on at camp with life at home is always difficult for me. Camp is such a fulfilling experience, especially this week, then you get thrown back into situations with people who haven't had that shared time. Too bad my trip home was too eventful for me to really reflect on everything. But that's another story for another day.

Little Things

2010-05-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a pathetic excuse for a blogger. To my credit, it's been a crazy couple of weeks around here. Husband's grandfather had surgery a couple of weeks ago, so keeping up with all of that plus work had us running all over town. Pawpaw's surgery went great. Watching Mawmaw take care of him when he first got to his room was so sweetly adorable. One of those "we'll be like that when we get older, right?" moments. Yesterday though Pawpaw mowed his yard, when he has yet to be cleared to drive ANYTHING, much less have that much physical exertion. Mother-in-Law is beyond livid with him. It's tough raising parents.

Anyway, I had a moment at work yesterday that I just had to share. One of my students is extremely...stubborn. She has guessed at words for so long, she doesn't really have the skills to USE the rules we give her to help decode words. She has also said on more than one occasion to both her other tutor and me that she doesn't care if she learns to read, she doesn't want to be here, blah, blah, blah. Last week she threw herself a nice little fit for me. She was trying to read a story and getting completely frustrated at not being able to figure out the words. That shut her down for most of the rest of the lesson. Not fun. Yesterday we had to start off again with reading stories. She gets about half way through the first one (and did a great job of figuring out words--only one really threw her because, well, how often do YOU use the word "utmost" in everyday conversations?) and asks if her grandmother could come in and hear her read. I say absolutely, but was a little nervous since she hadn't read the whole thing through yet and she has a history of getting frustrated easily. She stumbled over a few words, but only needed a couple of prompts ("What will that c say?" or "What's that vowel sound again?"). I catch her grandmother wipe her eye and then again and realize she's started crying. When my student is done, her grandmother hugs her and says "Thank you for sharing that with me." So beautiful. When grandmother leaves my student says "She was crying" and kind of giggles. I told her that was because of what an amazing job she did, sounding out words, dividing when she needed to, and not getting upset when she didn't know a word automatically. Grandmother may need to come in more often! One of those little things that remind me why I love what I'm doing and reinforces what my ultimate goal is.

I'm Alive

2010-04-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm fine. We've just been a little busy here at Casa de Applegate. Last time I showed off our newly almost-finished bedroom (all we need are curtains...perhaps a mirror). I've since painted the dining room RED. And I mean R.E.D. I'm not posting pictures yet because it's still sitting empty. OK. That's a lie. Currently it's housing an old TV/stand and a laundry drying rack. We did go shopping last weekend and FINALLY found some furniture we both agreed on. It's scheduled to be delivered Friday and I've got a couple of ideas for decorating after, but I'm holding off until I can truly call it a dining room.

But don't worry! I've got plenty of pictures to show off. Not only have I painted the dining room RED, but I've also painted our guest room grey. It's pretty light, with just a hint of blue. I also have inherited a little early a dresser that belonged to (we think) my great-great-great grandmother. She would have it loaded into the back of a wagon and take it to visit her children for months at a time. Easier than packing a suitcase, I guess! Anyway, that wood really warmed the room, in addition to the wooden quilt stand (the quilt is also a family heirloom. This room is now affectionately called the "antique room"). While we were out shopping last weekend, we also purchased another small addition...a flat screen TV. Remember how I mentioned an old one resides in the dining room? Well that's because with the addition of a dresser...this one in particular, the layout wasn't really conducive to that TV. Enter flat screen. Finally, the other addition, or additionS rather, are from teaser pictures from the bedroom update. My dad graciously built these nightstands, designed by Ana at Knock-off Wood.

OK, quick tangent. Y'all, this blog is amazing! There are plans to build just about any piece of furniture, mostly for way less than you could buy. I need to make the investment in a few basic tools (namely a miter saw. And yes, I know what that means!) and I'll be a home decorating maven! Or at least have rooms full of furniture. Either way.

Back to the point, since my dad has tools and a good wood-working knowledge, he built alone and I supervised the other (he even let me use the nailer). I brought them home and stained and polyurethaned them. Now they're perfect and I can't wait to build a headboard to go with it (especially since I have stain left over). OK, enough talking. Time for the good stuff:

Antiques dresser and quilt contrasting with a mounted flat screen (Husband mounted it himself. It hasn't fallen. He's a stud!)

Recliner

Bed. Still a few things left to do: Headboard, matching lamps, duvet for the cover, and some kind of curtain.

Close up of one of the nightstands

Bedroom Makeover

2010-04-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'm pronouncing the Master Bedroom generally done. There are still a handful of little things I'd like to get (a mirror being the biggest one, but with the current layout, there's nowhere for it), but I'm ready to officially update. Remember what it looked like when we first moved in?

Now, obviously, we hung up some more art, but these are just the first pictures I saw. Nice, functional, but not personalized. We bought some new bedding, got some new night stands, and finally painted some blue stripes. Old news, right? With our tax refund, well, a small piece of our refund, we finished off buying bedroom furniture! We now have a brand new bed (and thanks to a bored, wonderful husband Euro pillows for some shams included in our bedding set), a tall dresser, and a long dresser. Now, the AFTERS!!!

Don't look now, but I think we've got ourselves a real, grown-up bedroom!

And just because I'm mean, here's a teaser picture for our next project (which will hopefully get completed in another couple of weeks after my parents make an exchange :))

Prepare Yourselves

2010-03-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Major updates coming soon! First of the tax refund money has been spent on bedroom furniture and is on order. Finally broke down and purchased wood hangers. I need some more and have a few other small things going on in the closet, so I'll post the makeover when that's done as well. I'd say I've had a pretty great birthday!

Talk Me Out of It!

2010-03-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

I was in the evil store today. The big, blue, has-everything store. My prescription is there and I'm too lazy to move it! Plus the tech that works there recognizes me (and almost had to defend me to another pushy customer) and that makes me happy. Anyway, they're in the middle of remodeling plus putting all of the spring gardening equipment out, so I had to take a swing through that section in case there was something I just couldn't live another couple of weeks without (there wasn't). Then I thought I'd check out prices of shelving we're considering for the garage (they didn't have what we are really looking for). Apparently, all roads lead to the housewares department. Now, let me take just a moment to rave. Wal-Mart has stepped the style up. Their Canopy line is amazing! I asked for the nightstands as a trial run for the rest of the line. Everyone on The Nest raved about it, but it's Wal-Mart so I wasn't sold just yet. Granted, we're not very hard on our furniture, but those things are SOLID. The bottom part of the shelf isn't perfectly flush (we could probably rubber mallet it down, but that's not a big deal for us) and the drawers didn't slide easily (the guides were a little too high. I sanded the bottom of the opening down and they're fine now), but we are still really impressed for the price. Which, by the way, you can have shipped to your local store for FREE. That's right, F-R-E-E. The down side is getting the boxes in the car since, like I said, these pieces are solid, thus heavy. We will be purchasing the rest of it when our tax refund finally comes (ETA is early April).

Anyway, I took that little tangent to get to this: Canopy now sells bundles of wooden hangers. You know, the ones that are in high-end boutiques on What Not to Wear. The ones that, if you hung a ratty t-shirt on, it'd look good. I've been considering getting some for our closet, just for the pretty factor. The thing is, these suckers are expensive. Target has a bundle for cheap, but they're only sold online and shipping would cost more than the hangers. IKEA has a small bundle for cheap, but the nearest store is on the north side of Cincinnati. While I'm not opposed to turning it into a road trip with the girls, I still feel dumb driving over an hour for hangers! Imagine my surprise when I saw a bundle of 20 hangers at Wal-Mart for $12. TWELVE dollars. That's 60 cents per hanger. Still sounds like a lot for something you get free at the dry-cleaners, but wooden hangers are better for your clothes and, like I said, make your clothes look pretty! Before anyone comments, yes, the website says $20, but in store they are $12. The thing is, we'd need several of these bundles and I don't know that I can quite justify that. We'd only need 3 or 4 bundles (or $36-$48). It's a line I trust, plus Wal-Mart will take anything back. But it's still a decent amount of money for hangers. Advice? What the heck are you thinking wasting money like that? Totally use whatever birthday money comes your way for it, even though I've got a shopping list a mile long?

I have found Happiness

2010-03-10T15:03:00.000-08:00

and it is called "impending Spring." I sat out on our patio yesterday with my laptop and soaked it all in. The air just smells like Spring. I took a picture of a robin that landed on a fence, but I haven't uploaded it.

This will suffice :) Nothing says SPRING IS COMING like these guys hopping around.

The only problem with "impending Spring" is that it quickly leads to "impending swim suit season." I've always had issues with my tummy and being cooped up with junk food all winter has NOT helped that. The good news is I've been really good at taking walks this week. I'm going to start the Couch to 5K running program. The only reason I haven't done that this week is all the rain that was forecasted. Which, of course, hasn't happened during the day. Oh well. I'm being active. Next up is curbing this self-control since I tend to be in the mindset of "I worked out today. I can justify a cookie (or leftover candy or whatever)." Baby steps though. Baby steps!

Couponing

2010-03-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

So I have realized I have a problem. I'm addicted to coupons. My last post was about the amazing deals I scored, but only part of that was actual sales. The rest was a coupon I had. I rarely go shopping without coupons anymore (although the most shopping I've done lately is at the grocery store). If you know my in real life, you know I come by this honestly. My daddy is notorious for being...thrifty...frugal...oh heck, he's cheap. People joke that his wallet creaks as he opens it. However, I actually thank him for being cheap. His philosophy was to save on the everyday things so you were able to splurge on big things. We went on some awesome vacations (on frequent flyer points of course :) ). I didn't have to work for my clothes or gas to school and church. Dad retired early and now they take amazing trips together. Most importantly, he taught me those lessons. Our church recently offered the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University, but I didn't see the point. I've skimmed his book and there's nothing I didn't know or already do, namely spend money we don't have. Admission: I didn't realize until at least college that there were people that not only didn't do this, but were never even TAUGHT that idea.

Anyway, back to my coupons. I have some tips for those out there who may struggle with non-thriftiness.

1) Only get coupons for products you already use...

2)...but don't let that stop you from trying something new. I could clip that weekly coupon for Activia yogurt, but I know husband doesn't like yogurt period and honestly, after a few bites, it makes me gag as well. I may have saved 25 cents, but I had to spend $1-something for something we'll end up throwing away. However, if we ran across a coupon for a new flavor of Ben & Jerry's, we just might. After all, you won't be paying full price!

3) Make a routine for going through coupons. When we are getting ready to go grocery shopping, we make a list of our staples, ingredients of the weekly menu (we plan for 2 weeks), and anything else we're running low on. Then we go through our coupons. We toss anything expired and set aside anything that's on the list. If we find a coupon for something we use, but won't go bad (paper products, etc.), and it's about to expire, we throw that in, too.

4) Sign up for store mailing lists or loyalty cards. I created an e-mail exclusively for those e-mail alerts stores are always pimping. I check it when I think about it. Most of the time they don't fit in the "something I need" category, but every once in a while, you can catch a sale plus % off! Kroger's has loyalty cards that get extra savings on (usually) Kroger brand stuff. Also, I finally signed up for Speedway's Speedy Rewards. I haven't earned enough points for anything good yet, but it's the gas station closest to our house, so we'll be there a lot.

5) Finally, take a minute and price compare. What good is 30 cents off name brand something when the store brand is 50 cents cheaper than that? HOWEVER, there are cases when it's worth to have name brands. I call this the Oreo Theory (since name brand Oreos are significantly better than generic). Toilet paper. I won't scrimp on my TP. We have to have Charmin and I prefer the mega-rolls. But paper towels, eh. As long as the job can get done, I'm not picky. Oreo theory is a post on it's own though. So we'll leave this with a simple price vs. quality comparison.

If you feel so inclined, you could even start saving the difference coupons saved you. Kroger's (and other stores) will print what you saved by using their Plus card at the bottom of the receipt. If you use cash, put it in a jar, credit could go in a savings account. Then treat yourself to something special.

Super Saturday Sales

2010-03-01T15:42:00.001-08:00

I love alliteration! It's one of my favorite literary devices, next to onomatopoeia. Has anyone ever tried to spell "onomatopoeia?" Spell check was not at all helpful. Sorry, I'm back. So sales on Saturday. I know, today is Monday. But the weekend was crazy busy and slightly stressful, so I didn't get around to sharing with the world beyond Facebook about my deals. I got over $170 worth of clothes for $60-something. I KNOW!

Old Navy was having a "fun"damentals sale, so most of their basics (which is what I needed) were cheap. The best part was I didn't realize some of my stuff was on sale until after it was rung up! I almost ran back and picked up a skirt I put down because I was worried about my total. However, my birthday is this month...gentle hint. I have it on my Amazon wish list :) another subtle hint.

Anyway, I got

this tank for $5 in green, brown and white.

These jeans from their "Dreamer" line for $19. I need to hem them, but that's the story of my life :)

This denim skirt. It's a little long, but I actually think it looks cuter, especially when I put some wedges with it.

And this skirt, only in khaki. Another staple that makes me want Spring NOW!

Plus, I had a 15% off coupon, so my deals were even better!

Then we went over to the mall, although I was totally OK with not since I scored such a great deal at Old Navy. But we had a rough budget set (and nowhere near met) and I still was looking for a few other things. I found a few other tops at New York & Company, a sweater on clearance for $8 and an embellished shirt for $10. Plus, I got a coupon for $s off my next purchase. Yes, please and thank you.

Still no black flats yet, which are one thing I desperately need, but I have a coupon for DSW good for the month of March, so I might head out to Hamburg one day and see what I can see. They also have an Off-Broadway that I L-O-V-E. All in all, a happy Saturday evening!

Decorating Kind of Day

2010-02-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

Husband had to go to work today. On a Saturday. Boo. That left me home alone. And bored. That's a dangerous combination. Especially since it was above freezing. Luckily I had already planted the seed in Husband's head that I might make a trip to Lowe's since I found a gift card from Christmas in my purse. We will have guests stay with us in March and I thought they might like some blinds on their window. Call me crazy!

I went to Lowe's. And I purchased blinds. For essentially 50% off (the gift card was roughly half the cost). And I was happy. But still a little bored. Everyone on The Nest raves about a store called HomeGoods, which we have here in town but I've never taken the time to go to. It's on the other end of town and the only reason we go there is for IHOP. And you don't get between us and our IHOP. We're usually too stuffed after to shop, so I had never been in. Well, like I said, I had the majority of the day to kill and was sporting some major cabin fever, so I took the trek halfway around the circle and went in. Y'all, I have found heaven! It's like a TJMaxx, only all home stuff. And most of it is CUTE stuff. TJMaxx can often be hit or miss, but they had all kinds of things. I walked in and BAM! was hit in face with an idea for a plant shelf we have as you come in the house. They had rugs that did not cost a zillion dollars, nice looking chairs and side tables, art for pretty cheap (got a few ideas for the dining room), and of course standard kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom stuff. I'm in love. Puffy pink heart love. I then started making my way back around towards home, stopping and Bed, Bath, & Beyond to look for a sheer to put over the side "window" by the front door. It's not really a full window, so I was looking for a fairly specific size. I found something online, but they didn't have it in store. Boo. I did walk out with two baskets for the office (4 down, 3 to go!) and a second set of flannel sheets...sheets that were 50% off, I might add. They're chocolate brown and go perfectly with our new bedding. Winter sheets, done. Now to search for new summer sheets. Since I didn't get what I needed at BB&B, I decided to hit up Target, who also didn't have what I wanted. I magically walked out without anything else! Admire my self control ;). I then hit Wal-Mart, since I knew they at least had the rod I needed. I got that as well as a couple of pillows for the guest bed. Total damage done: about $60. Not bad for 2 steps closer to a "finished" guest room and office (the shelf is starting to come together. I can see the vision!) and 1 step closer to a "finished" bedroom.

Thinking Caribbean Thoughts

2010-02-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that feeling when you were a kid and the weatherman predicted snow. You'd put a spoon under your pillow or sleep with your jammies inside out or any number of other wives tales to get a snow day. Growing up in Alabama, a prediction was all it took to close the state. Most of the time we'd get a dusting at best (which wasn't even stuck to the roads). But every once in a while, we'd get a really good snow. We'd get our makeshift sleds (garbage can lids, stiff cardboard, baby tubs--no lie, it was my sled for several years) and, after a few practice runs in my backyard, I's go to our neighbor's house with a great hill and spend the day sledding down. And that was pure bliss.

Snow days as a grown-up aren't as much fun. Granted, as a teacher, I do still GET snow days (which is good since I don't know how to drive in snow and prefer to stay home anyway). But what kid gets sick of snow days? We've had a ridiculous amount of snow this year. No, we don't live in D.C. or anywhere on the east coast, which has been hammered with snow, which currently sits taller than me. But we've had 3 or 4 storms dump 4-6 inches on us at a time. Snow days make me lazy. That's a lie. I'm pretty lazy period. But it's even HARDER to motivate myself to get off the couch for lunch, much less to vacuum or get the load of laundry from the weekend that is STILL sitting in the dryer. This last round has been a doozy. It started late Sunday night and we had maybe 3 or 4 inches by mid-morning. Local public schools were out for the holiday (and Husband was home-Yay!-to spend the day with me), but many schools were using the day to make-up snow days...only to have a snow day.

They're still out today, including schools that NEVER close. One of my tutorees was lamenting the fact that her school never closes for snow. It was the only school in all of our county to be open with the last storm. Guess who's out today (along with all of the others)? Private schools here often make their own call and often are in session, but even those are out now. I just measured the snow on our back patio and we range from 4 inches closest to the door to 6

inches on our table. The drifts are crazy too! I'd take pictures of the drifts, but you can't tell how much it is. I can show y'all these though:

My attempt at a drift photo. Really doesn't give a frame of reference.

Snow sliding down the roof.

6 inches on the table. Crazy drifts behind it, too!

The snow on the seats meet the bottom of the arm rest.

Snow, go away. I used to love you, but now I'm kind of apathetic. Go away for a long time and we may be able to renew our relationship. Anyone need a buddy to go to the Caribbean?

Bonus Post!

2010-02-08T16:01:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been to a baseball or perhaps football or basketball game that goes into overtime and the announcer gets all excited because "you paid for (insert appropriate time here), but now you get FREE (insert sport)!!!"? The announcer for the Lexington Legends does this. Well, y'all are getting FREE BLOG POST!! Wait...I don't think that counts.

This post is just a few snippets.

* We got a new DVD shelf. It looks really good, doesn't feel like it's going to fall over at any moment, and was pretty inexpensive from Target.com (free shipping and we bought during the home event so it was something like 15% off)!

*I've discovered a few great blogs. I'm a little OCD when it comes to organizing so anything along those lines are great! I've recently added Totally Together Journal to my Google Reader and LOVE the cleaning tips. Totally manageable after a long day hanging out with kids. I discovered Literally Organized just today, so I'm still working through the old posts, but I'm loving what I'm reading so far.

*My best lady friends and I love a coffee shop close to our former campus. It's the meeting spot whenever we all happen to be in town (or country as the case sometimes is) and are free. It's funky, it's local (gotta support the small business), they make the BEST lattes, and they only use fair trade coffee. "What the heck does that mean?" you may be asking. Even if you're not asking, I'm going to tell you anyway. As with many imports, coffee is often imported from poor countries and workers are paid very little for their hard work. And harvesting coffee is HARD work. Fair trade works to raise the standard. Workers are paid a fair wage and work under improved conditions. Importers face tougher standards, which can mean higher prices for the consumer, but with a lighter conscience knowing the hands are not being abused to get me the coffee. That's at the store though. Our place has comparable prices to Starbucks (again, made even better by the civic duty we perform supporting Fair Trade AND local business) Plus, our coffee shop does a Happy Hour and all drinks are 1/2 price! Another option to fair trade is a program called Crop to Cup. It's similar, but instead of a co-op (essentially what fair trade is), farmers are paid a certain percentage over market value. Find more info about it here. Just passing along potentially useful info!

Football Party Planning

2010-02-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

I miss football already. :( Only slightly over 200 days until college kick-off!

Yesterday, we hosted our Young Adult group to watch the Super Bowl. We rushed home after church (after donating literally my last pennies to Souper Bowl of Caring, of course!) a

nd did the last minute straightening and arranging. I got out the serving dishes we'd need and started arranging the table. Then I started getting creative. We needed a centerpiece, football--duh. But since our bowls are all wide more than tall, we needed some height. I broke into my stash of scrapbook paper and made some...well, I don't really know what they are, but they're festive and fun, and most importantly CHEAP! I also used some leftovers from another scrapbook project to make some labels for the food. That's where I got REALLY creative! Our menu included Penalty Pretzels, Touchdown Wings, Cheesy "Pig" (Potato) Skins, Saints Salsa and Spinach dip, and Colts Coke and Sprite. Hahaha! Told y'all I was really excited!

Colts' Coke and Sprite

The table earlier in the afternoon. I realized people would have to reach over the football to get to the chips, salsa, and spinach dip. So the football got moved to the back (sitting on a small box covered with a napkin).

I never did get a picture of the potato skins. Guests arrived shortly after this picture (and they weren't completely done). Then they all mysteriously disappeared...which is a good sign I assume!

All in all, our first official party was a success. People had a great time watching the game (even if a few went home disappointed) and afterwards we got to show off the house!

A-Ha

2010-02-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

Hey look! It's an update! I'm just glad my last post gave everyone reason to not come around often.

Anyway, have you ever had one of those "A-Ha" moments? The moments where everything seems to click and fall into place? I had one of those recently and it's made me incredibly excited but incredibly impatient. I have found my purpose professionally. It's something I have really been struggling with as the deadline to start my Masters degree rapidly approaches.

Background: In Kentucky, you have to have a Masters degree to renew your teaching certificate. You get 5 years to start after completing K-TIP (Kentucky Teachers Internship Program). For me, my expiration date is 2012. So not horribly pressing, but quickly approaching. While working on a Masters, you can take specialized courses and earn an "endorsement" or specialization. That's what I've been toying with for quite awhile, although honestly, I had been toying with the idea of not getting a Masters period and do something else besides teaching. Until I had my a-ha moment.

I have spent this past school year tutoring students with dyslexia. A teacher at my old school brought this issue up last year as she was going through a certification process to diagnose and tutor dyslexia. I tried to start tutoring myself that summer, but the site she was using wasn't hiring. This school year, business started booming and they needed more tutors so after a super quick process, I began tutoring 2-3 sessions once a week. This semester, after the lay-off, they gave me an additional 4 sessions 2 days a week. I have loved every minute of it. Sometimes it's frustrating, trying to get some of my students to focus. I remind myself that they have been in school all day, sometimes struggling to survive that, then have to come to me for an hour only to go home and finish homework. So we do some goal setting and when time allows, we play games that may or may not have anything to do with anything. This has given me focus in what I want to do: obtain my Masters with an endorsement in Reading and Writing. This would give me qualifications not only as a regular classroom teacher, but as a Reading or Writing Specialist. I would also like to become certified to diagnose dyslexia as most Reading Specialists don't have this training.

How did I stumble across this plan? A job posting, of course! I had been thinking about the Reading/Writing Masters for awhile, but this posting at a school I ADORE was specifically for people with training in dyslexia, using a particular method (guess what method we use in tutoring...the SAME). I know this job is perfect for my experiences. Pray for me that THEY realize it's perfect for my experiences. But even if I don't get this position, I'm still hitting the job market (what sliver there is) hard this time around, emphasizing what I've been working on so I can start putting my plan into motion (it's way easier to have a job then the Masters rather than the other way around--when school tout wanting the most qualified teachers, you'd think a Masters would be helpful, but you'd be wrong).

This post is a lot of rambling and I apologize. I just thought I'd share my excitement, prayer request, and experiences. When have you experienced a-ha moments? Did you feel like you were hit over the head with bricks? Did it build gradually until you just realized it?

Realization

2010-01-21T19:19:00.001-08:00

I've made a shocking discovery. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? Probably. I don't know too many people who use the computer standing up. I digress, but what else is new?

My discovery: My life is pretty mundane. Let me see your shocked face! Don't get me wrong. I love my life. I love that I'm in a position right now to not do much of anything. It just makes for a boring time in the blog world! As I catch up on blogs in Google Reader, I just sit in amazement that everyone seems to have some kind of decorating project going on. How does THAT work? Maybe I should sign this blog up for Adsense. Even the other "life" blogs I read update almost daily without a day-to-day run down of what the writer ate for breakfast (I didn't) and how often they frequented the bathroom (about 3).

What's the point? I'm not much of a writer, so I choose not to blog day to day. We haven't done taxes yet, so we're not swimming in extra money, so I can't do a lot of projects I have cooking up in the ol' noodle. Therefore, please excuse my long absences.

Service

2010-01-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

I know many people's thoughts are rightfully with those currently in Haiti. It's hard for anyone this this country to even imagine what's going on there. How do you lose nothing? Ask those suffering from the recent earthquake. Even the poor in this country can't really imagine the poverty in Haiti.

I just wanted to post briefly if any readers feel so lead to donate their time or money, Week of Compassion is a great organization in which 100% of your donations will go directly toward those in Haiti. Other blogs I follow support Compassion, and judging by the number of times I see this mentioned, has to be legit as well. If you have some time and money, Church World Service supplies emergency kits for those in need. If you've never heard of these and are more comfortable, the Red Cross is always a good choice as well.

That's all for now, as I'm subbing tomorrow and it's definitely bedtime.

Snow-Pocolypse

2010-01-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Last week we were hit with an earth-stopping snow storm. Is it a requirement for weather forecasters to think anything beyond 72 and sunny is the end of the world? If you're in the Huntsville area, ask Dan. Y'all know what I mean.
Sorry. Anyway, apparently the end of the world includes a whole 4 inches of snow. I know. Wow! To my little Alabama heart, this is a whole lot. I didn't leave the house for a full 4 days. At least I admit I can't drive in snow!
This is what the end of the world will apparently look like.

Day 1: Out front.

Day 3: Out back

End of day 3. 4 inches!

I will say, the kids in the house behind us had a blast. I'm looking forward to one day playing with my kids on snow days, making snowmen, making snow angels, sledding, eating snow cream, and coming inside for some hot chocolate. The best part is, we're far enough north that it would be a more regular occurrence than when I was a kid. But all of that will wait a little longer. I'm selfish with the snow cream like that :)

Update

2010-01-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

I fixed it! I had to export, delete, and import. But it's fixed to my liking! Unfortunately I lost my followers in the process, so if all 3 of you would be so kind as to re-follow, I'd be much appreciative! If anyone else would care to follow as well, I'd let ya. It'd make me feel special!

FYI

2010-01-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

There's a remote chance I will be switching blog hosting sites. If you actually come to the site regularly (instead of just reading on Google Reader), you may have noticed a background change. That was accidental. I don't HATE it, but it's not was I was intending and I canNOT figure out how to fix it back. I'm also missing some gadgets, which upsets me. I have a question posted on the help forums and if I can't get it figured out, the web address will be changing slightly. I'll be sure to let everyone know.

The Post You've All Been Waiting For!

2010-01-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

I finally got my act together and made my bed juuuuuuuust enough to make it presentable to take pictures. You wanna know a secret though? Come in reeeeeeal close: There aren't sheets on the bed! Thus, our real pillows aren't on the bed (the pillow protecters are also in the laundry and our pillows are from a time before protecters). We also have 2 Euro shams, but no Euro-sized pillows. I have a birthday in March...just sayin'.

Anyway, enough talk. I've promised pictures and here they are, complete with step by step instructions in case you ever have 3 days to kill and some sanity to lose.

Step 1: Apply base coat. We decided on Valspar's Orient Blue and the base coat is in a flat finish.

Step 2: After base coat dries, mark stripe length. Our stripes are roughly 14 inches. Towards the end, I was going to have about 3 inches left over, so I just spread those out over the last 4 or 5 stripes. Now, the game is figure out which stripes are wider!

Step 3: Tape. I used an old-fashioned level (since the laser level tore up my wall in order for me to have both hands) to draw a line down the wall, but drawing marks at intervals and taping from mark to mark would work too. By the way, you have to alternate which side you put the tape on, otherwise you'll end up with pencil marks in the middle of each stripe! Left, right became my mantra.

Step 4: Go for coffee and lunch with the girls. But I didn't want the paint to dry (since I had a little time in the morning to work), so I wrapped my paint pan with Saran wrap and covered it all with a plastic tarp. This is a CRUCIAL step in the stripes as one could completely lose all sanity.

Step 5: Paint the "wider-LOOKING" stripes in eggshell finish (and mark touch up spots for the flat finish...you could save yourself that step and paint a second coat, but I was on a time crunch).

Step 6: Begin taking down tape. And curse Duck Tape brand painter's tape. The stuff adheres well...a little TOO well. My thumb is still hurting from scraping it with my fingernail. However, Shurline (at Lowe's) comes off magically easily, yet still provides a crisp line. And no, I am not being paid to say that.

Stripes are taking shape!

Step 7: After touching up necessary spots, move furniture back into place, wait about a week, and take lots of pictures!

Obviously the stripe is very subtle in these pictures, but it's a little more pronounced in person. It still totally depends on the light as to which is darker and how well you see it. This is one project that turned out EXACTLY like I had envisioned! That NEVER happens!

BONUS PICTURES!!!! No, no massive paint projects, but the guest room is beginning to look more like a second bedroom and less like a nursing home.

The picture was originally in the master, but the blue didn't quite work and the one originally in here worked better. So we pulled a switcheroo and I love it! The duvet cover and shams were a Christmas present (Thanks Mom and Dad!), but we now need a duvet and some pillows for the shams. A white bedskirt wouldn't hurt either. Again, my birthday is in March. Just kidding. Unless you really want to get us that stuff ;)

Another Christmas present: a quilt stand (Thanks Mel!). Now my grandmother's quilt can be properly displayed, without being USED.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing I didn't resolve to post more regularly! The bad part is, I plan on starting the Couch to 5K running program (I ran 5Ks every Saturday in the fall in high school...not so much now!), but it's currently 21 and feels like 8. I'm not exactly swimming in the cold weather exercise clothes, so I may have to find a few substitute resolutions until, say, March!

We had a pretty great New Year's. On New Year's Eve, as soon as Husband got off work, we high-tailed it out of town to get down to Nashville. We stayed up until midnight Eastern time (but Nashville is Central...does that still count?) and went to bed. Early early, alarms went off and we got up and hit the road to New Orleans! My dad's alma mater, Cincinnati, played in the Sugar bowl. My parents were definitely going to go and the calendar fell in a good way for us to make it, too. Very quick trip as we were in town for less than 24 hours, but we had a GREAT time...even though we lost :(

Husband and me in front of the Superdome

My mom and me getting accessorized on Bourbon St.

U C!

Cincinnati band

I PROMISE pictures of our master bedroom are coming. The painting is done and initial pictures taken, but I need to make the bed so I can take some of the furniture back in place for the finished product!